We’re a couple weeks into the New Year, and lots of people have made their New Year resolutions. Some people are going strong, but let’s be honest, the majority of us have already given up or have completely failed. For those of you who just couldn’t stay committed, I’m in the same boat as you are. Don’t stress though! I’m here to tell you that it is going to be okay, and I’m going to let you in on a little secret: You don’t need to use a new year as an excuse to make a change in your life.

To be completely honest, New Year resolutions are a load of crap and let me tell you why.

The beauty of life is that it is ever-changing, allowing us to learn and grow as we go along. Guess what this means! We get to change whatever the heck we want in our lives whenever the heck we feel like it! And do you want to know something shocking? We already do this daily, sometimes without even realizing it. This is virtually the same thing as making a resolution, only we aren’t waiting until a certain date to get them started.

A new year can make you feel like you get a fresh start but try not to let that cloud your thinking when it comes to your resolutions. One key factor in making a great year for yourself is to remember that you don’t need to put a time stamp on anything. If your resolution was to start exercising and you don’t actually start until June, that is totally okay! Your resolutions don’t HAVE to start right in January. You could start them whenever you want and as long as you accomplished what you’d hoped, that’s all that matters!

For some reason, people get the thought in their head that the turn of a new year is going to instantly change them. I’ve got an idea that I think will give some people a better outlook on the year ahead. Instead of saying “New year, new me,” try replacing it with, “New year, new goals.” Set goals for yourself rather than resolutions. Don’t just say your resolution is to read more, set a goal to read 2 books a month, for example. It’s not ideal to worry about not meeting these goals, either. Skip the added stress and try again if you fail!

The turn of a new year isn’t going to magically change your life. Once that clock struck midnight, the only thing that changed was the date. Don’t feel down on yourself for not keeping with your resolutions! Once you realize you can start over at any time you want, it’s a truly spectacular feeling! Keep up with your goals and restart whenever you need to.

You’re probably going to kick your goals’ butt so hard that you’ll need to make new ones, so make another list! You don’t have to wait until next year to do it, keep moving forward and keep improving. You’ve got this.

This year is what you make it, so make it a great one and good luck!