If you haven’t flipped your calendar or noticed the leaves have begun falling, you should know it’s already September.

Looking back, it feels like three weeks since everyone in the F-M area had the same evening plans – bagging sand. In actuality, it has been six months. It feels as if President Obama took office a month ago – it has been eight. Quite frankly, I feel like September snuck up like a bad pair of underwear.

Considering New Year’s was nine months ago, most resolutions have been dropped like a hot package of steamed veggies. In fact, if you ask around, I’m willing to bet most of your friends won’t even remember what their resolutions were.

In a way, we set ourselves up for failure with how we make our resolutions. We make ourselves at home with continuing poor habits until that special day when we try to change everything. New Year’s Day approaches and it’s time to turn a new leaf – your seemingly “only chance” to miraculously transform your life into the version you’ve always wanted.

Considering most pessimists don’t turn optimistic overnight, maybe the whole New Year’s resolution thing isn’t realistic. And by “maybe” I mean “most likely”.

Since we generally resolve to cut out things which we’ve habits of – arguing, drinking an abundance of beer, getting half the sleep you need and swinging through the McDonalds drive thru as your “reward” for going to the gym, they aren’t exactly a cinch to change.

Here’s my theory: the winter is depressing enough without having new restricting goals hanging over your head like eliminating your love handles (which seem to be helping right now!) or spending half as much time in front of the T.V. (Snow + negative temps = couch + blankets).

When the frigid weather is upon us, it’s difficult enough to get out of bed, let alone trudge through snow drifts and jump-start your car any time you need to go somewhere.

But maybe if we do this right we can get it down. It’s mid-September. We have more than three months to get started on our “New?Year’s” resolutions – yes, before the New Year approaches. Why do we need to wait for the January ice to start chipping away at our goals?

So while we still have time to frolic happily in the bearable temperatures and play in the falling leaves, we also have a good opportunity on our hands. Instead of assigning New Years as a start date, make it your deadline. That way, ideally, you’ll ring in the New?Year when you’ve reached your goals and have nothing to resolve!

Start off the New Year where you want to be – free of time-consuming habits, on your way to a healthier lifestyle or saving more money. Heck! Since you’ve got time, why not shoot for all three?

Good Luck, resolvers.

Shootin’ the Wit is a weekly column about everyday life that should never, ever be taken too seriously.