“I want to lose weight!” “I want to stop smoking!” “I want to build the world’s largest jungle gym for cats!” This time of year, everyone is talking about their New Year’s resolution, which is fantastic. That is, until you give up on it three weeks into the year.

New Year’s resolutions can seem pretty ridiculous. Most people don’t follow through with them, so they seem pointless. And if you want to make a change, why wait until New Year’s to make it happen? Too often we set goals for ourselves with no plan for how to accomplish them. Better yet, we set goals for ourselves and then make excuses for why we can’t accomplish them. What gives?

It may seem silly to start something just because it’s a new year. But if that is what it takes for you to make a change, then by golly, go for it! Regardless of when you make a change, the important thing is that you start and can stick with it.