2017 has come and gone and 2018 is officially here. There is a question that I dread getting asked in the beginning of every year, "any New Year's resolutions?"

Nope. Never. Not anymore.

I think as a child, I felt forced to make New Year's Resolutions because I saw the rest of society make them. I just followed what everyone else was doing, so there was never any true desire or passion to achieve them. And it felt worse when I only committed to it for a good week and it was forgotten for the rest of the year. What a big disappointment. I never understood it; does anyone actually follow through and accomplish their resolutions? It was as if I was setting myself up for failure. The controller of my own demise.

Maybe it's just me. Maybe I hate that New Year's resolutions feels like a chore. Plus it seems like false hope. The time constraint is what bothers me the most. Twelve months may seem like plenty of time to accomplish what you set out for, but in a blink of an eye, the new year is here before you know it. There's also a bit of pressure, which I don't do well with. New Year's resolutions don't motivate me; instead, they have me crawling under a rock whilst feeling sorry for myself.

Of course I love setting goals, and having fresh new starts. The concept of New Year's resolutions is great! A lot of people make them, and there's no judgement here. In fact, I applaud you for making them. If it works for you, go for it! It's just not my thing! I would rather not wait until January 1st to make new goals. Instead I prefer to just go with the flow and be spontaneous; every day is a fresh start and I set goals whenever I want. What's the point in waiting?

Despite everything that has happened in the world, 2017 has been one of the best years I have had. I met my favorite author, got her to sign my favorite book, and traveled to a city I fantasized about going to for so long. I've also found new loves and landed a dream internship. All of these little adventures were on a whim plans. And sure, I've made some life changes and learned from my mistakes as well, but I never had to make a New Year's resolution to make it all happen.

So for 2018 I intend to keep my "no New Year's resolution plan," and continue to work on myself and my goals without having an expiration date. I will just simply go after what I want, whenever I want. All I ever need is the passion to strive. No pressure, no high expectations, and more importantly, no disappointments.

I hope everyone has a Happy New Year! I wish you the best of luck in 2018.