“This is the beginning of everything you want” - Anonymous

Every year January brings renewed optimism for change, a fresh perspective on life, a clean slate to wipe away the old and embrace the new. We create lists of things to shift, new habits to embrace, and feel pumped and ready for action. Gyms nationwide are typically packed the first few weeks of January, only to fizzle out by February. A study conducted by researchers at the University of Scranton found that 23% of people quit their New Year’s resolution after just one week. And only 19% of individuals are actually able to stick to their goals long term (two years, in the case of the study). Why is change so challenging?  What causes us to revert back to our old ways so easily? 

Perhaps we’ve been programmed to believe a new year means a new you. Lord knows it’s all over the media. So, we tend to fall into the same trap year after year that we are...