It’s Friday — tomorrow is New Year’s Eve. The time of year when people make lots of resolutions, including changing their lifestyles to be healthier in the new year.

I see the new year as a fresh start to lots of things; I’ve been working on a novel and I plan on moving on to the next stage of development with the new year. There are some things I’d like to do around my house. I want to attain some personal achievements in my business. And, like so many others, I want control of my health in the new year, which includes my weight.

I can’t bear the thought of this puppy, walking alone! Who wants to walk?

Yes, around the holidays, I have my treats, and I end up feeling bloated and a bit angry with myself for the deviations. We’ve also had some particular stresses just this past week, and while I don’t consider myself a stress eater, I admit that I’ve had some lusts for foods I know I shouldn’t fulfill.

What, you, too? You’re not alone, you know. If you happened here because you’re looking for encouragement in the new year but you’re feeling like the job ahead of you is insurmountable, please be reassured that it’s not. Start small, if you must. I am living proof that the small changes add up to big changes over time — and you can be, too.

Let me suggest Jack Canfield’s “Rule of Five”. Simply put, it’s the commitment to do five things a day to move you closer to your goal. In his book The Success Principles, Canfield used the illustration given him by teacher Ron Scolastico, who offered them the analogy of a lumberjack cutting down a tree.

If you would go every day to a very large tree and take five swings at it with a very sharp axe, eventually, no matter how large the tree, it would have to come down.

No task is insurmountable if you dedicate yourself to constantly do things that move you closer to your goal — even the smallest of things, starting today. In my case, I work to achieve five things every day, and then some — but those five core things I do include getting enough sleep, drinking enough water, moving more, eating within my plan, and the big one: keeping my head in the right place. When I do those things, I find myself moving down my path. Sometimes the steps are tiny ones and it seems like I’m going nowhere; sometimes they are surprising leaps.

My five things may not be your five things. My goals may not be your goals. You may not achieve everything you set out to do every single day. You may fail at times; in fact, it’s just about guaranteed you will. But if you manage to win more than you lose, chances are you’ll find yourself moving toward your goals rather than away.

But most of all, if you are just starting out and finding your courage, know you’re not alone, no matter where your starting point. Believe me — I hated myself when I started, and I didn’t believe I would be any more successful on this try than on any other previous attempt at weight management. I certainly didn’t believe I deserved it, and I was horribly embarrassed by that starting point. I didn’t want to admit my real weight and measurements to anyone, and most of all, myself.

But had I not done that, I’d have no idea now exactly how far I’ve traveled. That knowledge brings power. And I am not alone; I am not the only woman, ever, to have lost over a hundred pounds. In fact, I’m proud to know quite a few fierce woman (and men) who have come that far, and even more. We are part of a family of those who have fought hard for that right to know exactly where we stood — and stand. Because it matters, every step of the way.

This journey is not a solitary one; from the first moment of public confession, I never once walked alone — but it took that step of admission for the hands to reach back to me and join with mine. The same can happen for you, whether you’re standing on the brink of changing your life, or well along your way.

You’ll never walk alone — but you must first be willing to walk.