New Years, the pivotal time in people lying to themselves, but also achieving dreams. The doors of gyms flood open after New Year’s at the crack of dawn, soon overflowing with the hopeful and desperate. While some promised themselves a better life, there are handfuls more of people who hit the snooze button, with no plans to achieve anything that day.

There are other hopes and dreams. Perhaps to quit smoking, secure finances, or even to spend more time with their kids. There are endless possibilities and changes in life, like gears in a clock, where one affects the others. The passage of time weighs on everyone’s mind all around the world.

So, while the New Year approaches, people make lists. They make promises, justifications and they have renewed spirit. According to Forbes, a little over 40% of Americans make New year’s resolutions.

But… according to a study from the University of Scranton, only 9.2 percent of people actually succeed in making their resolutions come true, and surprisingly, people in their 20’s are more successful than those above 40.

There is a looming doubt that it can’t be done, the lists. The fear of failure is not a good start with new and exciting, life changing ideas and events. Enter the skeptics/refusers. These are the people who refuse to be swept up in the charade of ‘new year, new you.’ These are the people who are skeptic that resolutions could actually work.

The realists who don’t care about the passing time and would sooner say bah humbug to New Year’s resolutions then make any sort of list. Who are convinced it’s just another day. It’s not. New Years is the time to reflect on the previous year. Even if you’re not a planner, it’s still fun to see what’s ahead in your future.

I was for a long time a skeptic myself. I found it ridiculous that I would need the start of the year to begin to change my life. I had firmly believed that if truly wanted to change in any aspect of my life, I would be able to start anytime.

It wasn’t until I had reached my senior year that I realized I needed to get my act and all over life together. I started to pick up all the odd jobs I had time for on top of my actual job. I started to plan… like an adult plan.

I had to map out my finances to see the apartments I could afford when I move out. I had to begin to think of all the stuff I would need for furniture and appliances. I truly began to think about rent, security deposits, and how it would split between roommates. I had realized that even though it wasn’t quite New Year’s, I was making list. Not only that, but it was the start of a new beginning.

Whether its graduation, Prom, a crazy summer vacation planned, or just the prospect of making money at your job, New Years is the perfect time to start an adventurous new beginning and have a new outlook on life.

But so is any other time too.

Don’t limit yourself to the box of New Years. Go out and grab life.