It’s almost a month into the New Year. Did you make resolutions this year that you’ve kept so far or have you given up already? Or are you like me, where you don’t really believe in the word “resolution” because it seems intimidating or kind of expected that you make them?

For the first few days of the New Year, you see so many messages of hope, prosperity and excitement of adventure that the New Year is hopefully going to bring. Messages such as “New Year. New Me.” Or “365 days ahead of me to make a difference.” My response to that is, why wait? Why do you wait until the beginning of the year, the start of a month or Monday to start over and find a “new beginning?” Why wait until tomorrow? In my opinion, you don’t have 365 days ahead of you, you have today and today only. You’re never guaranteed tomorrow and you’re not even guaranteed the next 2 hours. The only moment you have is this moment. Right now. This second. What are you going to do with it?

A resolution is “a firm decision to do or not do something” while a goal is “the object of a person’s ambition or effort.” To me, that means a resolution simply means you’re either going to do something or you’re not. When you set goals and have dreams you’ve already made the decision to strive towards success and making them come true. A resolution is simply a poor excuse to give up quickly.

According to statistics, less than 60% of resolutions are kept past one month of time whereas goals and dreams last every single day throughout the year because they are endless. As you reflect on this first month of 2017, I ask you to do one thing, change your resolutions to specific goals. Once you’ve established your goals keep this in mind: be patient and measure your progress. Share those goals with your friends and family and remember that when you slip up, it’s simply an obstacle that makes obtaining that goal even more worth it.

And finally, stop thinking that January is a fresh start and a new beginning. Every single morning you wake up is a new beginning, a new day and a new opportunity to make your goals come true. So now I challenge you to establish your goals. What do you want to accomplish this year and why are you waiting for tomorrow?

2017 Goals

1. Become more confident in my own skin.
2. Increase my savings account.
3. Drive a tractor.
4. Stay credit card debt free.
5. Stand up for myself a little bit more.
6. Become stronger physically and mentally.
7. Tell someone exactly how I feel.
8. Go on an epic road trip.
9. Spend a little more time determining friends vs. acquaintances and focus on what and who is most important
10. Continue to challenge my comfort zone.
11. Write a personal blog post at least once a month
12. Connect with and thank a few people from my past that challenged me to get to where I am today personally and professionally.