I have a confession to make: I love Mondays. Really. I’m pretty sure I didn’t love them as a teenager or even in my twenties, but as I’ve grown older, I look forward to them. I know it’s a psychological thing—after all, Mondays are no different from any other day of the week—but for me it works. I almost always go for a run or go to the gym on Monday because starting the week with exercise makes me feel like I have some semblance of control over my life. Mondays are a great opportunity to start over, change old habits, and stop being a toe-dipper.

For the exact same reason, I’m a big fan of Januarys. Rationally, I know January 1 is no different than December 31, but it feels different. The new year represents a new beginning. It’s the perfect time for taking stock of where we are and recommitting to achieve our goals. It’s an opportunity to get rid of excess baggage that has been weighing us down—figuratively or literally—and forge ahead with renewed confidence.

Every January, I choose a new word or phrase as a theme for the coming year. For 2019 my word is commitment. I’m more determined than ever to set goals and accomplish them. My goals are to get my next book, Stars on Ruby Mountain, out into the world, and to finish writing the memoir about my mom, Thirty Years to Alaska. Just writing that second one down makes me nervous, but after working on the memoir for twenty years, I’m finally going to do it! This probably means missing a few hours of sleep—not that I sleep much anyway—or spending less time in front of the television or on social media. But if this is what I truly want, I’m willing to make the necessary sacrifices.

It’s time to become our best selves and latch onto those dreams we’ve had for so long. If not now, when? Stop being a toe-dipper and jump in with both feet! Before you know if, you’ll be swimming in the waters of success and wondering why it took you so long to commit to succeed. Let’s do this!