As the New Year is approaching, billions of individuals all over the world will be conversing about their New Year’s resolutions. For some, this is a huge deal and others could care less. Some will hold very true to their resolutions while others will only last a few days. I have seen and heard all sorts of New Year’s resolutions from wanting to lose a certain amount of weight, to stop eating certain foods, to simply learning to love yourself. Whatever it is for you, find something that makes you a better person and strive to be consistent with it.

Every year, I feel like I make all of these New Year’s resolutions that hardly ever get met. Maybe because they are not realistic for me. I really enjoy eating ice cream so I’m not going to make a New Year’s resolution that limits me to limited amounts of junk food. Instead, I am much more likely to make a fitness goal such as being able to do 10 full extension pull ups or bench press 135. Something that like that is much more realistic for me because I enjoy it. If you’re a health nut, then perhaps making a goal of eating a specific amount of calories in a day is a good goal for you. If you love fitness, try making a goal of a higher weight for this upcoming year. If you’re a student, make a GPA goal and work hard towards that. If you are struggling with a relationship with someone, make that part of your resolution to love them well. Whatever your resolution is, make it reachable.

Another important piece of advice to remember is that even if you fail on your resolution one time, don’t give up. I had a friend last year say she wanted to not drink alcohol for the entirety of 2016. Now to some that may not seem like a big deal, but to her it was. She only lasted about two weeks before giving in and drinking again. However, she didn’t quit on her goal. She continued to work towards her goal and felt very accomplished after. Remember, failing does not mean failure. You can choose to let one setback kill your dreams, or let it challenge you to work harder to accomplish it.

Instead of making a list of 18 things you want to accomplish during 2017, find one thing that you really want to devote your time and energy to and work towards that. One very prevalent problem I have noticed in the past year in many of my friends is the inability to love themselves. Sounds narcissistic and self-centered, but it is something many people including myself could do better on. Loving yourself doesn’t mean you’re arrogant and vain, but rather shows that you are able to see the beauty of yourself and the uniqueness of you as a person. When you learn to love yourself, you no longer rely on other people to validate you. You become stronger and more independent. You drop the baggage of shame and guilt. You are confident in who you are and not afraid to be yourself.

So here’s to the New Year and the new you. Go get ‘em tiger. Be the best you. Love the people around you. Give a stranger a hug. Smile at the cashier. Never stop chasing your dreams, even if they seem completely unattainable to you, don’t quit. Ask for help if you’re struggling. Be open to new experiences. Travel more. Worry less. Love yourself.