For many, the New Year signifies a change from the old to the new – new goals, new habits, and perhaps a newfound chance to finally keep the weight off for good!

But the problem with resolutions is that few have the resolve to maintain the new habits and slip back to the comfort of the old. Why else are there so many new diet books on the market – every single year?! Most of us fail to keep weight off, which is why there are millions to be made in the diet industry.

On the whole, I applaud people who want to renew their goals or attempt new ones. I just don’t think the New Year is the time to do it. Think about it, most of us have spent the last month running around to office parties and catching up with friends. Then there is the holiday crush of parties and dinners, topped off with ringing in the New Year.

Between the plates of food and pitchers of drinks, resolve is buried between regret and euphoria.

What I like to do every new year is to work on a habit of behavior. One of my top picks is to stop silently cursing people. You know you do it too! Picture this, you are stuck in one of the always long lines at CVS and the person at the checkout counter is chatting away on their cell phone instead of paying for their items!

Wisdom and compassion would tell you to bless that person instead! Yes, bless them for giving you the experience and let you practice patience! If you practice yoga, they would tell you to breathe through the experience. I know sometimes I feel so pressed for time that any delay makes me want to punch something. This year, I hope to pass waves of good thoughts to my fellow man.

The second thing I hope to accomplish is a move toward the truth. I’m not talking about the bitter edge of truth that comes out when people have had too much to drink. I’m talking about a move towards enlightened thinking. This year, when someone asks how I am, I hope to answer more truthfully. Instead of the standard “Great, you?!” I plan to answer with something that is closer to the truth. Like when someone who you have limited contact with asks you something about the one person you have a connection with- and maybe you aren’t in touch with that person anymore. I plan to answer truthfully from now on – “I haven’t seen that person in months, I have no idea.” I’m pretty sure answering like that is going to get me more than a few weird looks, but I know I will feel so much better not giving a fake answer.

I also plan to spend time with people I actually care about; not that hanging out with associates or former coworkers doesn’t have its place – that’s why there is the week between Christmas and New Year! I mean the family members who I don’t see often enough, friends who have made a real difference in my life, and people who have carved a place in my soul who without my life would be that much dimmer.

So to all of you who are thinking it’s time to quit drinking or go to the gym more, I’d ask you to examine what really makes you happy – as in today, not a week from now, not in a year, not five months from now parading around the beach with your new body.

There is a simple pleasure to be gained from drinking wine with friends (yeah, I’m not quitting!), enjoying a steaming cup of espresso, or a walk taking in the magnificent sights around you.

And I’d invite you to practice new ways of being. Maybe it’s time to hug your friends. Make a phone call to someone you let slip out of your life. Practice random acts of kindness. Enjoy the view, even if it’s forced on you by someone who has no sense of urgency. And remain patient with yourself when you slip up on your own goals. It is often the struggle that makes us better.