It happens every New Year: January 1st comes along and you see a bunch of pictures of people celebrating and wishing each other well. Then you start to notice the stream of pictures with the caption that declares, "New Year, new me."

The people who've posted that have decided to announce to everyone that a change in year caused some fantastic metamorphosis and all of a sudden they're reborn.

Sure, I get the idea of renewed hope that often comes with a new year; people look at it as if it's a new beginning and a chance for them to turn something around in their lives. I think self-improvement is a great thing, but you don't have to wait until a new year to change something you don't like about yourself.

You have the opportunity to start fresh every day, so why wait that long?

However, no matter how much you change, you are still you. Whether or not you're moving on from your past, everything you've done thus far has created the version of yourself you are now.

It's awesome if you want to become a better person, as long as you remember your present worth as an individual, regardless of the hardships you've experienced.

If you're not proud of the person you are, by all means make the choice to improve, but also find a way to love yourself. It's healthy to feel comfortable in your own skin and not find the need for a big change.

Most people are constantly learning and evolving, so even though new opportunities arise each year and you may grow as a person, remember that you are still you.

A new year is simply an additional period of time in which you can live a life you're proud of. So go do it.