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It’s 2013. Do  you know where your resolutions are? Like many of you, I love  to usher in the new year with all kinds of hope for less this and more of that. Many of us are left intimidated with a cigarette still hanging from our mouths or gym shoes still hiding out in the back of our closets when January 1st comes and goes.

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New Year’s resolutions SUCK! The pressure is thick, like peanut butter at the roof of your mouth, nagging. You want to stick to it, pun intended, but it takes the kind of focus people with jobs, kids and lives that aren’t self-absorbed, just don’t have. Or if these people do have the focus, it’s limited.

Sure, resolutions are often made with the purest of hearts, to make our lives better and we hold on to the possibility of making it a full 365 days, proudly proclaiming our success in commitment, but many of us don’t even make it to February with our brand new mentalities. This isn’t a proclamation of how to make resolutions stick or even a punishment in prose for those who give up by January 5th. This is a “SMH” moment for the self-righteous, who stand on a soap box every year and chastise people for stating and starting on their resolutions religiously on January 1st.

You know the type! They hop on social networks on December 31st, claiming that everyday should be treated like a new year and you shouldn’t start fresh on January 1st. Why? Who made you the authority on when I can get my Iyanla Vanzant on and fix my life? Oh, no one. I figured. These are the same folks who curse Valentine’s Day, Christmas and more than likely anniversaries–claiming that if we treated each day like the respective holiday, then there would be no need to take one day to make it special. *Sigh* Who asked you?

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Here’s the plain truth. Life is hard and that sh*t is real. Ok. So forgive me if life gets in the way and I am only able to think of how I’ll survive, what my next move is, my or my family member’s health or whatever pressing matter that takes over my mind, instead of thinking of big picture ways to improve myself.

Don’t get me wrong, I am all about self improvement and yes, daily I want to be better. But since I am being so transparent currently, I realize that everyday I am not better. Sometimes from one day to the next, I stay the same, even when I consciously want to do better. Self-improvement as it relates to New Year’s resolutions are difficult to maintain, which is why many of us don’t make it a full year holding tight to our own improvements. The important thing about this journey is taking the initial step to lead you in the direction of improvement.

Everyone is different. The New Year’s resolution timeline works for most people because it gives us a point of reference to just simply start. Whatever it is that you resolve–you’re going to start being more social, you’re going to drink less, you’re going to commit more time to your passions and you’re going to have more patience–just start it. It doesn’t matter if you start on January 1st or February 15th–just start. And if you catch the attention of one of those soap box standers, ask them if they lived up to their “everyday is New Year’s” expectations today, yesterday or the day before. Oh and then check back with them by February 15th. Since their standards are so high, there should be no flaking on their part. But you, you started fresh on January 1st, failed by the 8th and started again fresh on the 10th. Don’t fret. Why? Because you started. And all you have left to do is make a noble attempt at finishing.

Let’s check back in on December 31st.

More New Years Chat Below:

5 Ways To Make Your New Year’s Resolution ‘STICK’ In 2013

How To Stick To Your New Year’s Fitness Resolution

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