It is that time of year. And by that, I mean a start of a new one. My facebook wall is filled with pictures of poor quality firework photos and I am still clicking through snaps of kisses, shots, and screaming- not particularly in that order. Instagram couldn't have anymore, "2018, thank u next" captions or the entire app might just shut down completely. Gyms all over the nation are being brought enough business to sustain them until the next calendar change, and every fortune cookie seems more magical and promising than my past 17 from panda express.

People love a new year. We have this culture of believing that once the date changes, everything does. We feel like we have reset our lives and opened up to a new blank page. 1 of 365. This is our start. It's our chance to reflect, our chance to hope, and more importantly, it's our chance to try again. We see a new year as our chance to make changes to our lives without feeling out of habit. We approach these resolutions with open arms and try to forget about our settled in routines. This is the most convenient time to alter lifestyles without it feeling awkward or inopportune. Like a classic Georgia fan always says, "This is our year".

The problem with these resolutions and goals, is they tend to be much less than that. Goals take action and planning, while most New Years trends tend to be vague and broad. For most, we swear to "lose weight" and "be better". We don't exactly know how or why or when, but that's what we want. I personally would love a 4.0, a bulldog national championship win, and a hug from Ryan Seacrest, but these goals don't just happen.

Why? Instead of focusing on losing weight, shift your ideals as to why. You don't actually want to lose weight, you want to feel comfortable in the sweater that came in the mail in a size down. You want to feel confident in your skin in public. You don't want a 4.0, you want to be proud of what you've learned and earned. You probably really don't want to sit down and read every night, but you want to be able to contribute to conversations about things that matter to the world. These goals will push you w=to want them even when the fireworks fade.

Stop being vague. Instead of claiming to work out more, pick a time and a class and a partner that all work towards your goal. Set a weekly checklist in your planner and decide specifically a where, when, who, and what is going to get you from where you are to who you want to be. Workout plans don't change when the clock strikes midnight, you have to take them from thoughts to actions.

Plan Weekly/Monthly Goals. Forget the year-long plan to read the entire Harry Potter series. Choose a month and choose a book. Break up goals into mile markers on your race towards them. If you want to cook more, plan a recipe every single week you can create and improve on. If you want to write more, create deadlines for yourself and hold yourself to them.

Quantify Them. Be specific as possible. Don't say you want to "Travel more", set a goal for exactly how many cities you want to see this year for the first time. Check yourself after each week, month, season to see where you are at and how to keep moving. Add 3 charities to your community service list for the year and stay active with each. Find 2 work out classes you love, and go every single week. Set aside an account or a jar for savings and give as much as you can to it and refuse to take any out until you reach your goal amount. By making goals obtainable in small quantities, you are putting small pieces into a much bigger picture for your 2019.

Be Held Accountable. Talk to your family, your instructors, your boyfriend, your girlfriend, your best friends, and find people who want to do the same things you wish to accomplish. Have people who will call you 37 times when you don't wake up to your alarm to hit the gym. Establish standing appointments with tutors that you have to attend. Go shopping with people who will encourage you to put your debit card back in your wallet instead of hyping up the random shirt that is "on sale" that won't match anything you own and will sit in your closet until 2020 when you change your resolution to minimalism. having a support system of whatever style will help hold you accountable to not only them but yourself and your own goals. these people will push you into habits until they're routine on their own.

Write. Whether it's a sticky note by your light switch, a page in your journal, or a bookmark on your computer, find a place to write out your goals and put it in a place you'll see often. Continuously be reminded of what is important to you this year and why.

Move on. That one time you missed your spin class because your roommate's boyfriend broke up with her, and you had to go buy her romcom movies and junk food will not stop you from reaching your fitness goal. We are accustomed to thinking our lives are all or nothing, but in reality, our world is much more grey than that. Do not let the time you were sick and couldn't leave the bed prevent you from cooking more, traveling more, using technology less, or failing fast. We are human. We take sick days and emotional health holidays. The point is to keep going.

The thing about New Years is it's really not new at all. It's the same people in the same places doing the same things. However, a whole new calendar gives you a new start to planning these upcoming months. We are always changing and growing and adapting, and this "holiday" that closes our coffee shops and local bagel places is the same one that makes us feel in control of what we're doing. Take this year to think too much. Allow these months to challenge your perspectives. Work through these weeks with the task of putting effort into yourself. Ask too many questions that you don't know the answer to. Reflect as often as you can. Like a mechanic studying a car that drives fine, look for the small leak where you're not being filled, add a little oil to let things go smoother, lift up the hood and ask "What piece isn't just right?". Examine the problems your finding in your life, but also make time to celebrate the smaller successes in them. This year- so much more is changing than the date on our watches; we're resetting the whole mechanism.