"To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often." - Winston Churchill

After a sixteen month hiatus, I have decided it is time for another post on my blog. I'm sure everyone has missed me tremendously, and I have missed you too so let's get to it!

Happy New Year! I am not sure how 2015 treated you, but the good news is you made it through to another year. No matter how good or bad it was, I hope 2016 is exponentially better. Since it is the beginning of a new year, I have been thinking about change. You have probably been reflecting and planning changes as well. I don't typically make "New Year's Resolutions" anymore. I prefer to make "new day resolutions" to keep myself motivated and focused on what I want to accomplish. Let me explain why as I continue to blabber on. If you're getting bored, watch this video of one of my favorite songs by Tyler Childers. Then come on back and read some more of this pure brilliance!

Here is my problem with New Year's Resolutions: they give people the idea that making changes in life is a one time decision. This is why so many people never follow through with their changes. They lose motivation by the time February or March rolls around because they do not feel like they have that fresh start they had in January. The key is to see every single day as a fresh start. Steve Jobs said, "For the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: 'If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?' And whenever the answer has been 'No' for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something." This is the attitude we need to have when we are considering what we need to change about ourselves and the environment we are in.

Sometimes to be happy, you need to add something to your life. Other times, you need to get rid of something (this happens to be about 15 pounds for me). But regardless which situation you are in, you should not feel like you need to wait to make the change. Not to be too morbid, but who knows how long any of us have left? If you know you will be happier if you can make a change, do not hesitate. It may be scary, but it is usually better to say "oh well" than it is to say "what if." Here are a few tips on implementing changes:

1. Be realistic - Rome wasn't built in a day. Set goals that will challenge you, but are also achievable. Setting goals that you cannot meet will discourage you and set you back.
2. Be specific - Saying you want to be healthy is okay, but it is better to say "I will be able to (insert fitness goal here) by (insert date here)," or "I will weigh (insert weight) by (insert date)."
3. Make a deadline - Giving yourself a deadline will help you stay motivated. As mentioned above, just make sure the deadline is realistic.
4. Keep track of your progress - It is important to see you are moving in the right direction. If you are not satisfied with the progress, you can modify your plan to make the change faster.
5. Celebrate your success - Give yourself some credit and reward yourself when you reach your goals.

Those guidelines may seem like they are geared toward fitness/health changes, but they can be used for any change you want to make. I could go on and on with this post, but it is already longer than I intended for it to be. Let me finish by encouraging you experience new things. Find what it is that makes you happy, and make changes to keep it at the forefront of your life. Whether the changes you plan to make are big or small, I wish you the best in this new year!

P.S. I spent New Year's Eve in Nashville and it was awesome! As a result, I hope to travel more this year. Now I just need to make some money to finance my trips (LOL). Feel free to comment with the changes you want to make in the upcoming days and months. Here's to 2016!