The new year is not always the answer to last year’s problems.

What I mean by this is that whatever situation a person may be going through – internal or external – is not going to disappear just because the clock struck midnight and the calendars were changed.

I believe that there are two types of people during New Years. First, there are people who commit themselves to their resolutions and genuinely want to change, then there are those who put forth no effort but want immediate results.

This torpid type of person can find themselves believing that a new year means a new them. Instead of dealing with their current problems, they might decide to leave it in 2018. Only in leaving their issues behind, do they feel that they can progress in life.

Nothing good ever comes from running away from a problem.

A good example of this would be the movie “Frozen.” In this animated film, one of the princesses has the ability to create and control ice. She does not have any restraint over her power. Instead, she keeps them a secret and wears gloves to keep her from freezing things.

“Conceal it, don’t feel it,” is what she has been told. However at one point, her icy powers are revealed so she runs away afraid that she might harm someone. Even in doing this, her problems of putting others in danger and concealment catch up with her. Eventually, she has to face her fear.

Imagine how much simpler things could have been if she had learned to control her power in the beginning. What if she had been taught to treat it like a gift, rather than a curse? Would it not be easier if we decided to do the same?

I believe a new year is a time to reflect on the previous year, rather than to neglect it.

Entrepreneur, blogger and podcaster Darius Foroux said that if a person fails to solve their problems, it will always be there. He said if they want to make their problems go away they should not complain or cry about it. They have to do something different. He suggested that they change their mindset and admit that the problem still exists. I stand by this.

I believe people should acknowledge their problems, whether they are good or bad. Yes, remembering those bad times can definitely sting a little, but it is over. It is in the past for a reason.

Recognizing this strengthens us. Maybe it does not change who we are, the same way a new year is not going to change us, but it is going to make us grow from the experience.

Furthermore, people should stop waiting on a new year to approach so they can change. It should not feel like a trend or an obligation. It should be a transformation that they will to happen.

It takes time and consistency.

I will admit I used to find myself wondering – who am I going to be this year? I would deconstruct who I was and try to devise a whole new me that was the exact opposite of my true self.

On this New Year’s Eve as the minutes inched closer to midnight, I had a different mentality.

I sat and thought about who I was last year and who I still am this year. And ultimately, this led me to understand the person I was moving to become.