Let me start by saying that, there is really no such thing as a new year (at least in the way we subconsciously perceive it). Things will not suddenly become new at the turn of the year. You will not suddenly lose body weight. Your job will not become less stressful. Money will not start to rush in simply because you have got great expectations for the year.

Every year is neutral — same 12 months, 52 weeks and 365/366 days and it is only what you put in that you get out.

So, what changes?

The earth’s clock resets and begins to count again.

What can change?

Your experiences in the new year. Yes, you can create new realities for yourself if you choose to. It is a choice. But to do that is both a science as well as an art. That’s why many people falter a few days/weeks into the year because they don’t know how it works. They fall into the trap of setting far too big (and overwhelming) goals in the name and the excitement of having a new year resolution. It is not uncommon to see the gym get less and less crowded a few weeks into the New Year and gym operators get to make so much money this season because most of the people enrolling will soon quit. February is the hard part (that’s if you manage to get over January). Many well-meaning resolutions begin to fade away because people don’t understand that it takes a lot to break old ingrained habits and to create new ones. And that you cannot do so with a few days of willpower.

Any guarantees?

Yes. Change can happen if you know how. If you understand that it is a marathon and not a sprint. If you understand that rather than trying to lose 20 pounds of fat in one month, work consistently at dropping an ounce every day by tweaking simple lifestyle choices and at the end of the year, 20 pounds is gone. Drip. Drip. Drip. Day by day. Small chunks, slow and steady. It is the idea of the compound effect – a little bit every single day that adds up on the big picture.

Another thing is that, it is important to ensure that you are even setting the right goals. What’s informing the things you will like to have or to become (by the end of the coming year)? Have you really thought about it? A lot of times, people make the wrong goals and that makes it almost impossible to pursue them. They are not very clear about where they want to go which makes it hard to keep up.

Maybe you should take some time out before the end of the year to challenge your goals and see if they are worth pursuing. For example, if you want to live a happier life, it may be that you don’t necessarily need to raise your income and that you probably just need to create more time for yourself. More time to be with your family and those you love. Yea, it could be that simple.

Without a doubt, the change you seek begins with your resolutions and a firm commitment to them — the kind that remains active even after you no longer feel the way you felt when you made them. And a sure way is to ensure that you set the right goals and that you take them on bit by bit.

Post script: Change can happen anytime of the year and you don’t need to always wait for the beginning of a new year. The truth is that, it’s your commitment to the process that matters more and not when you start the journey. But, whatever works for you, get at it.

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