"New year, new me." Personally, I'm not even going to kid myself. All of the things about myself that I would give anything to change, didn't just magically change as the ball dropped. Would I like for 2017 to be the year shed a few pounds and stop comparing myself to others? Of course I would, but the truth is, I'm still going to be the same exact person I was in 2016 and all of the years before for that matter. What the new year does mean however, is a fresh start and a chance to fuel myself to be a better me.

There are a ton of things I would have done differently if given the chance, countless of dollar bills I wish I wouldn't have given to McDonald's for a cheeseburger off of their dollar menu, and I can't even begin to count how many insecurities I wish I could trade with something that is what I for some reason consider as "perfect". But to be honest, I make a lot of less than favorable decisions, stress eat way too much McDonalds, and find beauty in every human being I see for me to stop comparing myself. I'm not doing myself any favors by depending on a new year to roll around for me to have the motivation to work on myself. We can't keep searching for excuses to begin being all that we want ourselves to be, especially not a new year. We're going to have set backs, we're going to fail, we're going to flat out suck at some things... but that doesn't mean we have to give up on our goal and wait another year to start again. We have 365 days and a billion chances, and any of them are the perfect time to begin, or simply try again.

As many things as you'd like to change about yourself, there are even more wonderful things that make you who you are. It seems as though the whole essence of "new year, new me" focuses on all that is wrong with ourselves instead of all that is good. Your goals for 2017 are worthy. You are worthy. You can do anything you set your mind to, but please do not feel you have to change who you are in order to make this a successful year. Set those goals. Fail at them. Fail at them some more. But don't stop trying. Don't give up. Stay that same kick ass and unique human that you are. "New year, new me" doesn't come close to defining who we are.

Self love is the best love.

Let's better ourselves without the pressures of having to be "new".