It's the new year, signifying fresh starts and new beginnings, a time for celebration and joy.

This is how you'd like to think, right? And for some time, you will. However, let's re-read that statement with some reality.

It's the new year, signifying the gyms will be packed with people, organic grocery stores will be struggling to keep their shelves stocked and everybody and their brother will be buying planners, organizational supplies, and cleaning their houses.....

For a few weeks.

And then, the crowds at gyms will thin out, fast food restaurants will see their patronage rise up to usual rates, and people will soon find themselves just as unorganized and looking the same as they did before. So what is all the hype about New Year's resolutions for? You see it everywhere: gyms will be offering discounted membership rates if you join in the first week of 2017, car dealerships will have "rock bottom prices" on that brand new car you've been wanting. You may find yourself falling into the hype, but if you have to wait until the start of the brand new year to start changing your life, you've already failed yourself.

Nothing effective ever got done because someone said, "I'll wait until next week, or next month to start". Change happens - real, palpable change happens - when you decide to just get up and do it.

You want to drop twenty pounds? Great, wake up in the morning, go for a jog and eat a healthy breakfast, and only drink water at work - tomorrow. Sure, you can wait until January 1st to decide it's time to change your life, but then you're only lying to yourself and conforming to the societal standard of wanting to fit in. True change that you really want to see happen can't start at a certain date at a certain time because that's "the thing to do."

If you want something, why would you wait for it? If you were eyeing up a new video game or a jacket from your favorite store, and somebody walked up to you and handed you the cash to pay for it, would you hesitate? No, you'd walk right into that store and throw the money down on the counter, leaving with exactly what you wanted and a great feeling.

Why can't we do that with ourselves? Why can't we decide that we want to be a vegetarian and the next day ransack the fridge, getting rid of what we no longer should eat. Why can't we decide that we want to spend more time with family and friends and the next day call our mom, telling her we love her and will come visit soon?

Why must we put our happiness on a timeline?

If you want to change your life, get up one day and decide to do it. Nothing monumental will come at first, but if you truly want something, go for it - day in and day out, as slowly as it takes. Because that's when the change you see is worth it.

Be the change that you wish to see in the world. We've all heard that cheesy line, right? I have a variation on that line that I'm pretty fond of: be the change that you wish to see in your world.

And do it today.