It’s hard to believe that another year has passed. In just a couple days, the gyms will be packed with individuals ready to get started on their New Year resolutions. Fruits and vegetables will be purchased now more than ever and the line at Starbucks will be shorter. But just for a couple of days.

I, just like everyone else, am guilty of cheating on my New Year’s resolution far too early. As this year came to an end, I started to think. How can I still become a better and more improved version of myself without being unrealistic and setting goals I know I will not achieve?

The answer is actually simpler than I anticipated it to be. Give myself a challenge for each month. Instead of saying, “I need to be nicer to the people I care about.” I will start by saying, “I challenge myself to give a nice compliment to one person each day during the month of February.” By challenging myself, instead of forcing myself, I am making the resolution seem less daunting.

We often put too much pressure on ourselves to accomplish goals. If we don’t start seeing our body change after two weeks in the gym, we get frustrated. We think, “what’s the point?” and then we give up. All this does is cause for us to never completely accomplish a goal that can be healthy and beneficial to overall well-being!

I am in no way promising that I will get this right. I know that I will slip up and not complete everything I set each month, but it doesn’t hurt to try, right?

So, I challenge you, fellow readers, friends, family, strangers, etc., to challenge yourself this new year! What can you do differently each month? Maybe instead of going cold turkey on caffeine right away, start by just limiting yourself to only three Starbucks drinks per week! If you want to learn something new, like how to play an instrument or do makeup, ask a friend to learn with you!

New Year’s “resolutions” don’t have to be a job or a chore. 2018 is a chance for a fresh start and the perfect opportunity to challenge yourself and do something different.