New Year, New Me! ????

I loathe New Years Resolutions. Period end of sentence. When people ask me I never know what to say... "To clean my cats litter box more than once a week?" "Be a better person"? I don't know.. But seriously, not trying to be negative but here are some reason's why I have so much distaste for that phrase.

1. Too much hype
My main resolution for the past few years is to give up smoking ENTIRELY. Hey that seems like a good one right?  But 3 minutes after that ball drops into the New Year I find myself shivering outside some bar trying to light a smoke.

2. It rarely works. (I'm being truthful)
How many people have New Years resolutions? A lot of them, and by mid-June ask them what their New Year's resolution is and most of them will have forgotten, or wink and say "Next Year, yeah next year for sure, this year was just too much." Which brings me to my next point.

3. Too Much PRESSURE!!!
 I think we often put unexpected realizations upon ourselves. For instance, a friend of mines New Years resolution last year was to give up chocolate. Really? For a whole year???? For 12 months??? For 52 Weeks??? No chocolate for 365 days???? Wow, that's some goddamn willpower.  Did she make it? Well, according to her, she said she did and she was proud of herself. But then again I also think she's full of shit, as I caught her a few weeks ago eating a Hersey's chocolate bar while she waited in her car outside my house. Despite my witness accounts, she still denies that ever happened. Fine. We also make resolutions not just for ourselves, but so we don't let other people down. We want to show friends/colleagues/ family members/ or whomever that you are strong enough and you can stick to your word. Because damned if people don't love reminding you of things you said or promised to do months or even years before. "Thought you said you would never eat at Taco Bell again? huh?" Let the guilt set in.
Life is ever changing, and you never know what tomorrow brings. There is nothing wrong with setting goals for yourself which will make you a better person. But you must understand, if you're going to make a change, no matter how small or large it may be, do it for YOURSELF. That's right. Be selfish, and take your time with it. Most great accomplishments are not an overnight process. Not everyone can quit or start cold turkey, some people can, but some people can't. That doesn't mean that you've failed, you just need another approach, that's all.
And why does the "resolution" have to start on New Years anyways? Why can't it be a month resolution, or shit even a week resolution? Start small, and be realistic. Hey if you fail today, there's always tomorrow. Don't let time constrain you. And if you're one of those lucky people who actually do stick to their New Year's Resolutions, well then a standing ovation for you :) That's awesome.
But that's just me, and my point of view. What works for you, may not work for the next person. If you feel the New Year is the time to get things started then by all means go get 'em. I just prefer to pick my own time and place. A New Year is a good way to look at the goals you want to accomplish, how ever small or large they may be, but so is today or tomorrow. Word