We've heard it countless times before. "New year, new me." If I'm going to be honest, and I am, I'm sick of it. Yes, a new year feels like that fresh start, but there's no reason to wait for the new year to change. Hear me loud and clear: we don't need the new year for a new start.
Another cliche, one not so sickening, is that the only real constant in life is change. This feels much more true. Everything around us, from the environment, to people, to technology, is always evolving, progressing, and growing. There is no point when that change stops, and then waits to start up again. Why wait for the new year to begin in order to truly start changing yourself, your behaviors, or whatever else it is you are no longer satisfied with? Things come and go in our lives and our personalities can shift with the slightest breeze. Not everything about our lives or ourselves is going to make us happy. When we no longer wear certain clothes, eat a certain way, or partake in certain activities, we get rid of what we no longer have a use for. The same should be done for the people in our lives that make us unhappy or the attitudes we have that drag us down. Clear out your life like you would your closet.
The moment you recognize something in your life that is only acting as a negative, you should decide to take charge and change it. If we had pain, we wouldn't wait to fix it. Decide then and there to no longer accept things as they are. Got a slate? Wipe it clean. The only thing stopping you from controlling your own life is you. You can't blame others for the messes in your life that you have the ability to let go of.
Why has the new year become such a strong motivator in reinventing ourselves or creating new habits? We don't need a milestone that takes 365 days to reach. Each more should be that new slate. Each morning you should say, "new day, new me." Imagine that, having 365 "new years" in a year. When the sun rises, we all get a new opportunity to let go of what weighs us down. Why not use it?
