It’s the ultimate cliché: “New year, new me.”

It’s customary to use the new year as opportunity to reinvent. However, this year, I’m not going to set unrealistic expectations for myself, like “go to the gym everyday,” or, “be more Jennifer Lawrence,” (even though that will always be a goal). This year, I’m going to focus on liking the me that I’ve been for the past 365 days.

Why should I exhaust myself trying to scrub for a “clean slate” when the lessons and knowledge exist in my muddled mess of 2015?

This year I’m going to trust myself.

It’s incredible to think about how many decisions are made in a year. It’s even more incredible to think about how many times I’ve thought about what I would’ve done differently. But this year, I want to trust the person that made those decisions. Because whether I remember my motives or thought processes now, those decisions were a step, or maybe even a stumble, in some sort of direction.

This year I’m going to forgive myself.

Over the past year, I probably made just as many (if not more) mistakes as the next person. The “What-ifs” tend to linger, but this year, I’m going to let myself off the hook, because regrets have a way of being abusive to progression. I’ll always wonder if I said too much, or didn’t say enough. I’ll always wonder if my moral compass was out of whack when I made some of the decisions I made. I’ll always wonder if I hurt someone beyond belief, or if I can ever really forgive some of the people who have really hurt me. But I’ve decided, that’s OK. So, moving forward this new year, I’m not going to let guilt fog up my clarity.

This year I’m going to congratulate myself.

Instead of dwelling on what I can change, I’m going to sulk in the successes a little while longer.

Sure, there’s always room for improvement and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to be better, but at what point do you sit down with an ice cold brew and cheers to your triumphs? At what point can you say, “I did it?” I think the answer to that question is whenever you so choose to. So, yeah, I did it. I pushed myself out of my comfort zone, I set and obtained goals, and I remained resilient in the face of adversity. Cheers.

So no, my new years resolution isn’t to create a “new me,” it’s to appreciate who I’ve always been. (And maybe still to be J.Law.)