2017 is gone, and 2018 is finally here.

The new year has just begun, and you are having fun. You’ve caught up with friends and family, and they’re all excitingly telling you about their 2018 plans as a part of their "new year, new me" mentality.

You’re now starting to wonder, "Oh no, do I need a 'new me', too?"

Hold on, there. Before you dye your hair blue or sign up for an unnecessary gym membership, let’s slow the roll. I’m here to remind you that no, of course you don’t.

What happened in 2017 that made you no longer good in 2018? That’s right. Absolutely nothing.

So let’s turn that frown upside down because 2018 will be the year to remember:

1. You’re already slaying life the way that you are.

A new you isn’t any better than the old you. Simply adding more veggies to your plate won’t make you a better person, and whether you’re 18 or 58, you still have plenty of time to figure that one out.

2. Your ~original~ self made it through last year alone.

There was nothing preventing you before from making it through the year, so what’s possibly going to stop you now?

3. The opinions of others? They do not matter.

Everyone has their own opinions, but the one that truly matters is your own. So, in 2018, follow the well-stated advice of the actress that we American women have a slight, but of course healthy, infatuation with — Meghan Markle: “Keep your standards high, but your level of self-acceptance higher.”

4. You can set new goals any time of year.

Not sure if you knew it before, but there are 365 days in a year. You cannot become a new person on day one. The more time that passes, the more you will accomplish, and the other years to come will only prove that to you.

5. In the end, you only have yourself.

Whether it’s 2018, 2019 or 2062, the only person that you know you’ll be starting the new year off with is yourself. So, use the new year to understand the gradual process of appreciating and improving yourself all that ~you~ want. Growth is a process that cannot be done overnight, or even in the course of one year. Finding yourself takes time, but you eventually will.