New year, new you? Wrong. New year, new mindset. It's the same you. It's the person with the flaws, bad tendencies, rocky past, and unhealthy habits. But, it's also the person who is able to learn from their mistakes and become better because of them.

A lot of people make the mistake of saying "new year, new me," and that's just not it. As we ring in the new year, we are also welcoming a multitude of opportunities, changes, and possibilities. While we're able to alter our take on life at any second, a new year gives us a concrete reason, and allows no room for procrastination. Sure, you may have tried to get yourself to the gym about a dozen times in the past couple of months, but now you're able to call it a new year's resolution, which attaches a specific date and time to the lifestyle goal you've been pushing aside.

This need for structure and purpose is definitely not a bad thing. In fact, we should use this to our advantage. 2017 can, and will, be the year of possibilities. As many of us can agree, 2016 was not our best year collectively. Whether this is due to personal matters, or popular opinion, we've all had quite a few let-downs this past year. The overall energy in the air is dull and gloomy, and we need a serious change. While you may be thinking that this is an obvious notion that seems nearly impossible, you're wrong again. Each and every one of us has the power to initiate change and adjustment to society. The first step is to reflect upon our individual attitudes and ensure that our intentions are in the right place. Do you find yourself complaining about the things that go wrong more than you are appreciating everything that is right? Believe it or not, your mood alone will almost always affect those around you in some way. One of the easiest and most important things you can do is make sure to appreciate the little things in life. Something that you once viewed as small and insignificant could be the reason behind your smile. You simply have to let yourself reflect and admire. This simple change of mindset can not only affect your outlook on life, but also that of those around you.

So, start there. Use what you have endured to make yourself stronger. The hard times make the good times that much happier. Enjoy special moments with your friends, spend time with your family, give a lot of love, and be spontaneous. But, most importantly, welcome 2017 with open arms and a brand new attitude.