As another new year rolls around, it can get easy to get caught up in the resolutions and newness of it all. Most people have things that they want to change or start in the new year, and they use last year's failures as fuel to get the proverbial motivational fire going.

I'm not saying that embarking on a New Year's journey isn't desirable or even fulfilling, but, truth be told, a new year does not simply make magical things ensue. If there are real changes to be made, they don't begin on January first or on Monday or tomorrow morning. They begin now.

The idea of these New Year's resolutions that have a stigma of never living past the first of the fifty two weeks, is a sad excuse for refusing to take responsibility. What happened in the last year is behind, yes, but with all the bad we choose to bury there is so much good. Don't get me wrong, I too am guilty of abandoned certain goals in these last few weeks and excused myself with aspirations and goals to begin on the first day of the year. I have also chosen to ignore how silly it is to expect another ordinary day to suddenly impact my life and give me a brand new motivation or purpose. But I don't excuse myself for it anymore.

Truth be told, the last year may not have been the best year for us all, but we cannot dismiss all of our accomplishments and wins just to focus on our fallbacks and our losses. It isn't fair to abandon your hard work of the year past as you embark on this new journey, and each one of us, I guarantee, has something they can be proud of from the last 365 days.

I challenge everyone to stay proud of their achievements from the year before and grow even more in the year to come. Do the things you want to do, and see the things you want to see this year. But do it because you are growing yourself as a person and because you believe in yourself; not because you want to fit in with the resolutioners.