New year, new me. We've all heard the classic saying, and let's face it, we've all had the high expectations that things will magically change with the new year. That's why we make New Year's Resolutions to lose weight, save money, or to stop procrastinating. But just because the clock strikes midnight and the year changes from 2016 to 2017 doesn't mean that we will become new people, or that all of our problems will suddenly be resolved.

The term resolutions implies that something must be resolved, and for many, the expectation is unrealistic. Not many people can drop 10 pounds over night, save $1000, or suddenly get things done on time if they've been procrastinators all of their lives. Instead, these resolutions should be goals to eat healthier and exercise a few times a week, put aside fifty dollars from each paycheck, and instead of waiting to complete something last minute, start by doing it one day in advance.

By setting long-term goals for the new year, we are not changing who we are by becoming a new person overnight; instead we are changing our attitude. So maybe instead of new year, new me, we should say new year, new attitude. If we make it a goal to lose a certain amount of weight in 2017, our attitude will change to fit that goal. We will become motivated to go to the gym (hopefully), substitute the brownie with a fruit for dessert, and cut back on carbs.

Whether your New Year's resolutions are life changing, or as simple as trying to smile more often and be more optimistic, don't expect yourself to suddenly change because the year did. There is nothing wrong with setting resolutions for the new year, but don't let the new year be an excuse for you to suddenly start/stop doing something. Instead of resolutions, we should set long-term goals, and these should be ongoing, every year, 365 days a year. Most things cannot instantly be resolved, but we can most certainly change our attitude and perception in life and be one step closer to gradually changing and resolving our unrealistic resolutions.