Creating the Silver Lining: 8 Things It's Totally Okay To Do in 2016

It's officially 2016 and you have grandiose plans about how this year is going to go... But, we're a measly two days in and you've already snuck a bite of those Christmas cookies you should have tossed, or you haven't even cracked the surface on your treadmill/closet clean-out/new year-new you plan.

I'm here to tell you that it's totally okay.

As perfectionists living in a world where social media glorifies what life "should" look like, we have become our own biggest critics—more than ever. Our bodies, hair, nails, wardrobe, relationships, Christmas trees, desk, calendars, Instagram snaps, plates of food, 2016 resolutions—everything must be pristine, colorful, positive and picture perfect.

But life is full of bloopers with behind the scenes shots of laundry baskets filled to the brim, messy buns {and not the imperfectly cute kind}, chipped nails, cupcakes for breakfast, screaming matches, takeout five nights a week {or cereal for dinner five nights a week}, cursing photoshop to hell, and wine—more wine than is appropriate to glorify on Instagram.

So, as we enter a fresh year, one where social media will remain the ruler of all things {seemingly} perfect, I beg of you to remember that it's totally okay...

To wait until January 4th to start that "New Year—New You" mantra. Who wakes up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed on New Years Day? I for one wake up exhausted, slightly hungover, craving a greasy cheeseburger, and dreaming of one thing—the couch. I'm thinking the new me would scoff at the idea of starting fresh on a weekend of R&R, so I'll wait to embrace her on Monday.

To say NO. You can't be everything to everybody. Let's be real - you can't even be some things to everybody. At some point you have to say NO to an offer, luncheon, brunch, client, date, party, project, or whatever else is thrown your way. Your FOMO will fade and you'll have more time to enjoy the things you do say yes to. I promise this will change your life.

If you pin—but never win. Look, Pinterest is supposed to be a place to spark creativity - not a place of shame to make you feel like a failure because you never finished {or even started} that homemade holiday wreath. If lunch isn't a salad in a jar and dinner isn't crock-potting away and you haven't finished your 1000th jumping jack for the day—it's okay. It's also okay to continue pinning on top of the 10,000 pins you haven't accomplished yet. Keep those creative juices flowing.

That you didn't finish that project you set out to accomplish in 2015. You're lucky enough to be here for another year, so it's not a wash, it's just an extended deadline. And the best part is, the hardest part is over - getting started.

To put up a social front. Those {seemingly} perfect lives we all see on social - it's okay to partake in the "front" they present. No one really wants to see the negative drama BTS - if so, it would be called "anti-social media." There's nothing wrong with showing the best parts of your life, given that they're not completely staged and fake. Don't live a make-believe social-only life - make sure it actually mimics the best part of your life that is truly happening... And then feel free to leave out the detail about how right before that perfectly styled picture of you posing against a brick wall your Instagram husband said, "okay, go" with all the lackluster enthusiasm in the world.

To start small. You don't have to lose all five pounds {okay, six. fine, seven. FINE, eight.} that you gained through the last quarter of 2015 {aka, eating season} in the first two weeks of 2016. You don't have to sign-up for a half-marathon right out of the gate. The house doesn't need to be completely renovated by Valentine's Day. And your new business doesn't need to be off the ground and running by Spring. But you DO have to start somewhere - so start small. Download the Fitness Pal app to track your calories; sign up for a 5K; pick one room to redo and go from there; and at least open the Business Plan Pro wizard. Don't set yourself up for failure - it's okay to take one tiny step at a time, as long as you're stepping, period.

If you're already counting down to your next day off. 15 days until MLK Jr. Day. But who's counting? It's also okay if you already put in to take off on March 4 to binge watch season 4 of House of Cards. Underwood for President!

If you're having the hardest time parting with that fashion statement that all of the fashion-powers-that-be say to toss for 2016. Long live pastel hair, coachella-inspired music festival fashion, and suede. Also, I just started "mastering" contouring, so I'll be sticking with that cheeky goodness for a bit. Let's also remember that trends don't hit the level of us "real" people for a good year—in which case, we're right on track.

I'm going to leave you with some of my favorite words from the ever wise... Bethenny Frankel.