If you’re planning on making a New Years resolution for 2014 then don’t.

You won’t keep it. I haven’t met anyone who wakes up on January 1st, begins working on their long list of resolutions and hasn’t completely given up in a few weeks.

Save yourself the time and the disappointment.

To quote Garth from the Office, “You will never win…could still be fun though”

Only it won’t be fun.

So here’s the thing. If you want to change and you want to start the fitness regime or read more or save money or eat more Chilis (not all resolutions have to be good for you do they?) then start now.

Don’t wait.

If you wait until January 1st you have already lost.

Why?

Because you don’t really want it. No one ever waits to do something they really want to. Imagine when you were a kid and your parents promised you a trip to the ice cream store or a holiday. It killed you to wait. You wanted it yesterday.

Or when your parents made you practice the piano or do your homework, you would do anything to put it off. Practicing your scales more or for longer would have made you a better pianist. Getting your homework done early so you could get in extra work would have helped your grades.

But most of us hated it, so we tried to delay it as much as possible.

There is a reason why when we feel like we are going to get to enjoy something that we are more motivated to work. So when we are enjoying our goals and our work then we’re more motivated to see them through.

We do the things we love and procrastinate on the things we don’t.

So this year ask yourself why you want it. If you’re doing it just because it’s that time of year then quit now. Your time will be best served doing something else. If you’re doing it because you are excited and passionate then don’t wait.

That’s the only way you’ll win.