With yet another year coming to a close, it's probably safe to say that many people are coming to a conclusion as to what they want their New Year's resolution to be. Whatever it may turn out to be, there's a high chance that there's something that people are looking to change or improve as the New Year approaches.

I must continue by saying that I personally do not make such resolutions. If you're wondering why, here's my thought: To use the New Year as a reason to do something positive only lends itself to the idea of this inspiration passing over time, just as the refreshing feeling that comes with the turn of the calendar page often does. In other words, if I'm going to do something to better myself, I want it to be for life, not just for the New Year.

Don't get me wrong, I get the fact that creating New Year's resolutions is something that is entirely well-intentioned. People often go into the New Year with newfound purpose and determination, which are certainly things that should not be knocked. However, the thing is, that drive needs to last in order to sustain the positive benefits of whatever one's resolution may be. In my eyes, there's nothing wrong with deciding to make a personal adjustment at the time of the New Year, but maybe referring to it as a New Year's resolution is what needs to be changed.

At the time that the New Year is ringing itself in, there are many possibilities as to what someone may want to do to improve. Some may want to eat better and lose weight. Others may want to reevaluate and make changes to the relationships that you have with your friends and loved ones. Or maybe they're looking to travel or get out more. The point is, these are all extremely positive ideas as to how to improve oneself, so why not make the vow to improve things such as these for life, or at any time? I have seen many people fail at keeping their New Year's resolutions, but have seen many more people succeed when they make a conscious decision to change at a random point in time.

Why, you may ask, do the people with the conscious decision in mind seem to have more success? My thought is that it is because they didn't feel the need to live up to an expectation of making a New Year's resolution, but rather to an expectation or desire that they have for themselves and for the quality of their life. So, while there's nothing wrong with using the turn of the year as a time to reflect and evaluate, resolutions shouldn't just be for the New Year; they should be for personal betterment year round and for life.