The Christmas music has come to an end, the tree has come down, and all that is left is a long winter filled with lots of hot cocoa to come. As Jan. 1 rolls around, so do those extra pounds you gained from Christmas dinner. After looking in the mirror you have reached the conclusion that you definitely had one too many of grandma’s cookies this holiday season.

With the new year fast approaching, the season for criticizing yourself is officially upon us. Diets, grades, and healthier living are all the cliches on everybody’s agendas. These ideas sound amazing of course, until your diet starts the day after New Year’s and you remember just how horrible brussel sprouts taste.

So why wait till now to fix all these issues?

Surely this day is not the only day out of the year you notice what you’re doing wrong. It would be nice if we all just said “eh I’ll wait till tomorrow to go to school,” but unfortunately, the world does not work this way. The same old expression “new year, new me” is just another excuse to follow these same old patterns.

Instead we must stay ahead of our messy rooms, poor grades, ungodly eating habits, and unwashed hair. Let us use Jan. 1 as a day to reflect upon our progress being made, instead of using it as another excuse to hide behind our imperfections.

The next time you are assigned a project due a week from now, start it that day. Feeling bad about yourself? Do your hair nice and wear your favorite outfit. Behind on some school work? Awesome, most teachers stay after school everyday! It is time to resolve our lifestyles and defeat the expression “new year, new me,” for good.

We must stick together at times like these. Let us motivate each other to do our jobs 365 days a year, instead of just those 7 days of guilt that follow the holidays. I say these words in motivation, although life does get the best of us all. So hey, why not have another one of grandma’s cookies every once in a while.