As 2017 sets in, we gleam with hope and excitement for better days in the months ahead of us, and cling to yet again, another set of New Year's resolutions. January marks a new beginning, where we make lists in our heads or on paper of what we want the next 365 days to look like, and that picture usually involves eating healthier, a change of attitude, or exercising more. But as the weeks trudge on, we fall back into the same old habits, and few things on that to-do list get checked off.

I've always wondered why we treat January 1st as such a magical date, why we plan on changing ourselves around that day. It's a bit ridiculous, considering the majority of Americans make New Year's resolutions, but only 8% follow through on them. Even I write a list that ends up untouched, so this year I'm deciding to abandon the traditional ways of making resolutions by not making any at all. Although we feel like we're given a clean slate when the new year rolls around, I've realized that when we rely on New Year's resolutions to better ourselves, we confine ourselves into a time frame when in reality, self-improvement can happen any day of the year.

The course of time will challenge you to make changes, and those challenges won't adapt to your calendar dates, don't try to convince yourself "there's always next year." Change shouldn’t be dependent on a new calendar year, it happens when you decide to let it. So if you want to complain less, be wiser, more generous, those things don’t need a starting date.

Any time is the right time. The best time I’d say is now.