For the first time in a while, I passed on making any New Year’s resolutions this year.

(Yeah, I know it’s February where you are but it’s still January here. All the confetti, booze and even the hangovers are gone. The NFL playoffs are in full swing, the trade show season is still several weeks away and we’re only two states deep in the GOP primaries.)

It’s not that I have anything against them. I usually have a pretty steady .400 average when it comes to keeping them, too, so it’s not that either. In fact, last year, I managed to nail half of them.

The start of a new year is, admittedly, an irresistible time for us all to pull a Michael Jackson and “make that change.”

In fact, one Harvard professor found that roughly 40 percent of Americans make New Year’s resolutions.

On the flip side, a British study found that nearly 90 percent of them fail, which might not be as surprising as it is depressing.

I think physical fitness tops most New Year’s lists and the spikes (and subsequent falls) in gym memberships every year bear that out. Other popular resolutions include careers improvements, financial makeovers and relationship changes.

So in the spirit of things, I thought I’d offer up a couple of suggestions for this year – because, honestly, it’s never too late to start, right?

Vote. I screwed this one up myself two election cycles in a row—once by simply not doing it and the other by picking the wrong guy altogether. Don’t make the same mistake. This year’s too important. We can’t count on the Supreme Court to overturn PPACA, so the best way to make your voice heard is to cast your ballot in November. It’s not just a right; it’s a duty.

Walk. Whether it’s taking the stairs when you get to the office, doing laps at the gym at lunch or strolling around the block when you get home, try to incorporate just a little more walking into your daily routine. If nothing else, it’ll get you ready for those trips to Vegas.

Chill. To quote one of my adolescent heroes, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” Maybe my perspective’s changed, but having both a 13-year-old and a 13-month-old (both girls) reminds me how quickly they grow up (and away). I’ve found that nothing’s more important than the things we tend to take for granted—because they’re right there with you, every day.

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