As we flip the calendar to a new year, it’s a popular time for reflection and setting goals, both personal and professional.

Have you made any New Year’s resolutions yet? Have you kept any?

Let’s be honest – there are things you should change, things you can change and things that will only make you frustrated. Often, they’re one and the same.

It’s a trap many of us fall into each January – we write down what we plan to change about ourselves and then start trying to check things off the list. Losing weight? Check. Be a nicer friend? Check. Limit time on social media? Yeahhh… Work ON the business instead of IN it? Now we’re just getting crazy.

You may have heard of what is commonly known as “The Serenity Prayer:” God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can and wisdom to know the difference. The fact is, psychologists say there are things we can change and things we can’t – unfortunately, we often think just writing them down is gonna do the trick.

Sure, you can affect some change in your life and business on your own, but often it takes the help of someone else to really get you over the hump. Call them a coach or a mentor – maybe it’s a spouse, a friend or a business partner – but there is likely someone out there who has a great idea for helping you get past a seemingly impossible (and impassible) obstacle.

Here’s a tip: don’t imagine how much better things will be when you finally stop doing something – imagine how happy you are that you’re working toward a goal. Sometimes, the journey is just as satisfying as the destination.