The New Year has begun and people around the world are making a change. Whether it be hitting the gym, saving money, getting more sleep, or giving more hugs, New Year’s resolutions are an incredibly common way of making a positive change. While naysayers love to say that your new intention will fail in a few weeks or that if you really cared you would be doing it already, don’t listen. Change is difficult. Breaking a bad habit is tough. But it can be done, and there is no better time to start than a new year.

 

Don’t Listen to Statistics

 

In our Google-obsessed society, it’s hard to resist the urge to look stuff up. You want to know what your chances are. Will you keep this resolution? Who actually succeeds in their proclamation to lose weight or eat healthy? It’s the truth – plenty of people don’t keep their resolutions, and that’s okay. But the great thing about making an introspective improvement is that there is only one person who determines your success – you. New Year’s resolutions are an easy way for pollsters to rattle off statistics of failure but don’t listen. You aren’t a statistic.

 

One Mistake Doesn’t Equal Failure

 

One risk of starting a new positive habit when the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s is how easy it is to approach your challenge with an all-or-nothing attitude. Many people are prone to thinking that one mess-up equals failure in its entirety. One bad night’s sleep on January 3 does not mean your resolution to get more sleep is scrapped. One treat doesn’t mean you can’t eat healthier. You are a human being taking a step towards bettering yourself. To create a sustainable habit, chase progress, not perfection.

 

They Did It, So Can You

 

While doubters love to rattle off stories off failure, there are plenty of triumphant stories about people who took the New Year as an opportunity to make a positive improvement in their lives.

 

Jil Littlejohn, a Greenville, South Carolina city council member, was prone to making empty promises to improve her health. She decided that 2017 would be different. By planning out her weekly workouts every Sunday and replacing her junk food with fresh and whole foods, she ended the year healthier than ever.

 

In 2017 Maegan Piertrzak’s husband abruptly left her and her two daughters. Faced with a personal and financial breakdown, she, along with her daughters, struggled. At the beginning of 2018, she decided she was going to change this. She spent weeks designing her exact budget and developing creative habits to save money. Now, her family is living better than ever, using the New Year to prompt a change that has led to real-life improvements.

 

No matter the size, making a change in your life is difficult. It is more comfortable to stick to your old ways, but that’s not where improvement takes place. We are all guilty of pushing aside our bad habits and procrastinating a necessary change. Take this New Year as an opportunity to be healthier, smarter, or just happier and reap the rewards that will come.