First of all, let me start by saying I don’t make New Years resolutions. I haven’t for years.

For one thing, no one keeps them, including me. Certainly we have good intentions when we make them, but within a week or so those good intentions are gone, and unless we wrote the resolutions down somewhere, and can actually remember where we put them, we’re never going to remember them all anyway.

Why bother? Because the only way you can change your life is by actually doing it. Not by resolving to do it in the future; not by talking about what you’re going to do; but by actually doing something to change your life now. And continuing to do it. Not just doing it for the first few days of the new year.

Why do we seem to think we have to make resolutions when a new year begins? Because it’s new. A new year means a new beginning. You look at the year ahead as a blank canvas ready to be filled with all sorts of wonderful things you’re going to accomplish.

You mean well; you really do. But somehow along the way, as the month of January progresses, all those plans and resolutions are forgotten, put away with all the good intentions from last year, and the year before, and the year before that. And your canvas remains blank, without even the beginning of a sketch on it.

And before you know it, you’re in the same old rut as last year. Doing the same things with the same results. Wanting to break out in a new direction, do something you’ve always wanted to try, but just never getting around to it, because something else always comes up.

I read a quote the other day that really sums this all up. “A person that really wants something will find a way to make it happen. A person who doesn’t will find an excuse that it didn’t.”

And if you really want to accomplish something in the new year, to step out of your comfort zone, you’ll stop talking about doing it and actually start! You won’t need a resolution. You’ll just need a plan. And the willingness to stick to it.

My biggest goal for 2016 was to get my first book published. And I did. It wasn’t always easy, and I almost gave up a few times. But I did it! And the feeling of accomplishment was incredible! And it still is.

My husband and I both have things we want to accomplish in 2017. We’re planning on how to accomplish them; setting measurable goals; and planning on keeping each other on track as far as what we want to get done, and by when. And we will evaluate our progress as necessary to keep each other on track.

But resolutions? No. Anyone can make those. It’s setting goals and adhering to them that makes our plans work.

Happy New Year 2017! May it be your best year ever!