I will never truly understand the psychology behind the need to have New Year's resolutions. Sure, being optimistic about the future is great, but why do people feel like they have to wait till the new year to change their bad habits or to start good ones?

You have the power to change your lifestyle at any point in the year: on any day, at any hour. Maybe the start of the new year motivates some to start over, and to feel like the clock striking midnight is a reset button for their life.

If that's the way you want to view change and productivity, that's perfectly okay. But it is important to know that just because it is a "new year" not much has changed. The only thing that has changed is the last number of the date on the top of papers. Besides that, the world still turns the way it turned on December 31st.

The year has changed, but nothing else has, and you won't either unless you really work for what you want. The reason I have an issue with New Year's resolutions is that people set all these crazy high standards for themselves, rush to get them done on January 1st, and burn out and quit about a week later. Then, they carry on the bad habits they tried to break with them until the following year, and the cycle repeats, and repeats, and repeats.

As I said, you have the power to change your lifestyle at any point in the year. If you want to start working out and dieting on April 15th, you can. The new year will not give you an extra boost, only you can give that to yourself.

Do not put all that unnecessary pressure on yourself in January to change. Change is slow and gradual but requires a lot of discipline. I believe that true sooner you start working on yourself the better off you will be.

Sit down and think of all the negative things you do, and try to see how you want to change those things if you really want to change them. Set up a game plan and execute it accordingly. Do this whenever you feel like it is necessary, not just as soon as the clock strikes midnight leading you into the new year because if you only agree to better your life at that moment, your life probably will not change too much.

Take care of yourself all year. If new year's resolutions motivate you to stick to a good plan, then go ahead and make them, check them off when you succeed, and shine. But if you find yourself feeling pressure to succeed this January, take a step back, relax, and think of a plan that you can put into action whenever you feel like you need to.