Warning: Going full force and head on into change will cause failure! No matter what the year is. On that note I wish you all the very best life-time ever! 
We all know that human beings need water and air to live. That is basic. I believe we also need love and a sense of accomplishment. Love of self and others. Success in business, career choice, and/or life style. We need these things. All. Year.Long. Every.Year. So, why do we allow the calendar system, and specifically, the new year to chime in as one where we need instantaneous change to live a good life? There is a technique called Start-Keep-Stop that is used mostly in business, however, applying it to your personal life can allow you to see a positive impact! It can help you identify things that are of value to you, things you need to trash, and things you do all the time that you want to hold on to. 
Here's the gist of it:
Start. Great word, start. It's defined on the web as "cause to happen, give a small jump or come into being; begin or be reckoned from a particular point in time or space". I like the thought that to start you need to reckon or calculate a beginning. That is the mental aspect of it! Then you need to take action on that thought and follow through. For example, if you want to become healthier overall. Healthier could mean managing disease, eating better, exercising, or reducing stress. So where would you start in this example? Let's say we decide we are going to reduce stress in our life. That's a choice; beginning. Then to go one step further, list how you can do that. Say, meditation, exercise, nurture a good relationship, etc. Pick one item from the category of reducing stress and begin there. Break it down and master it! Then, and only then move on to the next one regardless of what day it is on the calendar. 
Keep. Love this! Keep what you have done well. When you identify a 'keeper' give yourself kudos. Specify what it is you have done well. List how this helps you in your life or the life of others. Why do you want to keep it? If you struggle with this, ask those people around you that you trust to be truthful, but also loving, what it is that you do well. It could be a trait or an action. A 'keeper' can be simple or more complex. Maybe you are an optimist and you raise the spirit of those around you which also helps you live better. Or possibly you have mastered a skill that took you years to develop/learn that you share with others in business or in daily living. 
Stop. Are there behaviors that you exhibit to yourself or others that are not allowing you to live to your best life? I call them life-wasters. An example of an outward behavior could be as simple as gossiping. That benefits no one. Another example may be to stop being so hard on yourself. Being a perfectionistic type, I often have to tell myself it's okay if there is not an ideal outcome from my actions. Take your life back. Not just today, January 3rd. Not just in 2017. Take it back in full. Oh, and be sure to journal to achieve success!
