Recently I came across this wonderful calendar called, the Holocene calendar, this calendar system adds exactly 10,000 years to our current year. This calendar begins with a year 0, something that is non-exiting in our current one. Placing its first year near the beginning of the Holocene geological epoch and the Neolithic Revolution, when humans transitioned from some hunter-gatherers to farmers and when the first temple of long forgotten gods was created somewhere near modern day Anatolia or Turkey.

Since we are about to end this year, I took it as my first new year's resolution to begin using this new calendar, that in my opinion is better than Gregorian calendar we use today. In such a way that it considers all the 12017 years of human progress and not just 2017 years since the birth of Jesus Christ. Call me weird, but I like it!

Regardless of what calendar you want to use, congratulations! We have survived this crazy year, and oh boy how crazy good it was. Now, I know a lot of us around this time jump on the bandwagon of the "New Year, New Me" mentality, and by February we are back to normal. All those longs list of new year's resolutions have been hidden away from our eyes, as if to prevent our guilty consciousness from remembering how much we suck in keeping our promises. 

And hey guess what? I am one of those bandwagon suckers too! Every year for the past five years, I have sat down close to midnight and pondered upon what graceful goals may accentuate me well the coming year. Honestly, I have never actually finished writing or thinking of those goals before the new year arrived. So, if you asked me, if those goals were never even fully materialized in my mind, let alone written, why should I be held accountable for them?

Well this year it's a little different, not that I am older I've come to view those pesky "Goals" under a new light, and for once I really do plan in sticking to them. Even though I am not a master of sticking to new year's resolutions here is a quick rundown on how we can help each other stick to them.

1. LESS IS MORE

Now I now it can be VERY tempting to write a bible long list of goals, but we both now that is not realistic. Statistically speaking only 8% of people who write down new year's resolutions achieve them. So, to avoid disappointment lets write down less, but easier goals to achieve.

For example, these are mine. I filled out as many applications for scholarships and financial aid as possible, I lost all the weight my doctor wanted me to lose, some weight, I wrote as much as I could, I helped my nephews finish their homework and I loved more. 

2. WRITE THEM DOWN AS IF YOU ALREADY ACHIEVED THEM 

Maybe you noticed that I wrote all my goals as if I've already accomplished them. Some time I go a wrote about the self-fulfilling prophecy, the theory that if you tell yourself long enough something you grow to believe it. Well, apply the same principal here, tell yourself that you will do it, are doing it, and have done it. It all comes down to you staying positive and keeping your head above the laziness that will surely attack you once you must get up early in the morning to go to the gym or sit yourself in front of the computer to write something down. Keep telling yourself that you WILL achieve your goal.

3. FIND PEOPLE WHO HAVE ACHIEVE YOUR GOAL

Now this one is a favorite of mine, and will admit that nothing is better to achieving ANY goal than befriending someone whom has achieved the same goal you have in mind. I have always been bad with mad, and last semester I finished the last math class in my entire student life thanks to befriending a few people from my class whom had very good grades and whom passing their exams came easy. My goals in that class was to pass those exams, and well sometimes with a pinch of studying, a sprinkling of studying, and a spoonful full of luck you can achieve just that like I did. However, finding likeminded individuals who are "go getters" is crucial to success.  

4. REMIND YOURSELF YOU WANT TO CHANGE

This one is simple. Tell yourself every day of the year why you want to change. Specially on those days when you are feeling low and motivation is hard to find. I personally want to apply to as many financial aids to pay less out of my pocket for my pending and upcoming college tuition.

5. PLAN!

Finally plan. This can be as elaborate as a daily schedule for the entire year, but honestly who has the time for that? I would recommend just jotting down dates on a calendar for the expected completion date of your goal. For some of my goals that is easier, some scholarships and grants have solid deadlines for applying, so those dates are taken care for me. The other dates like losing weight...well maybe in the summer I'll schedule a weight in and another before the year's end. Planning is important because you set down the path to achieve success, this also allows you to track whether you are completing those goals. This will also allow you to arrange your life to complete this goal. 

However, the most important thing you can do to keep motivating you all year long is to CELEBRATE when you have achieved those goals!