It's that time of year again. The time of year where everyone looks back on the year behind them and looks forward to the one ahead of them. People crave the whole "new year, new me" phenomenon, but do you actually need a new you? Yes, there are always things that everyone can improve on, but why is it that the new year is the only time to do so? New years resolutions allow for an unrealistic goal people set for themselves, and more often than not they forget about it a few weeks or months later. You may have wanted to succeed your goal at the beginning of the year, but no matter how hard you tried, your goal was just a little bit too hard to keep amidst your busy life.

You might be wanting to make a resolution like "eat healthy" and "go to the gym every day," but if you don't do that at all now it is highly unlikely you will follow through on those. Don't waste your money on a gym membership if you're only gonna go the first week of the year. Start out slow, go to the gym every once in a while and trade the fast food for something homemade.

Do something good for yourself, but also something good for others. Spend less money and save some for your future. Think twice before you buy that new outfit that you don't really need. Instead of going out to eat so much, eat at home. Get your grades up and spend more nights in studying by sacrificing a night out. Call your parents, grandparents, and siblings more often. Get to know your friends and really ask them how they're doing more often. Be there for the people around you. Get more sleep and stop watching so much TV. Get organized and make a schedule for yourself.

Whatever you choose, find something that is realistic and something you know you can actually do and something that you really should be doing already. Improve your life little by little. You don't need the new year to tell yourself that you need to change. Sure, it is a time to start the year fresh, but why does that matter if it doesn't apply to your life year-round? Re-evaluate your lifestyle more than just on January 1st. Celebrate the new year well and start the year off right, little by little.