Many of us create lists full of expectations, desires and hopes for the new year, engaging in the idea of “new year, new me.” However, most of the goals on such lists are both unrealistic and broad, making it hard to actually know how to achieve them.
The true key to self-improvement is to set small goals that change our habits slowly to improve ourselves and help us get closer to our goals. It is a scientific fact that habits take an average of 66 days to form, making the beginning of a new year the perfect time to add or tweak small aspects of your day to slowly grow.
Here are five attainable and very personalizable goals and habits that everyone should take into 2023.
1. Exercise
This habit may seem self-explanatory and almost annoying, as nearly every person is going to include “exercise more” to their list of new year’s resolutions. Most people will strive to add this habit knowing full well they will hit the gym every day for the first of January only to never return after a week.
However, most people don’t realize the power of simple exercise just to get the body and mind flowing. A walk around campus or on the treadmill can do wonders for your mental health and overall motivation.
The idea of exercising should not be tied to the goal of looking a certain way but with the goal of making ourselves feel our best physically and mentally. I encourage you to push yourself out of your comfort zone and try new things physically this year, without the stigma and pressure of going hard in the gym.
Whether it is attending a yoga class once a week or if you want to start lifting weights, exercise is not one size fits all, is extremely personalized and can do amazing things.
2. Prioritize balance
I will be the first to admit learning how to prioritize balance slipped away from me a little bit in 2022. It is easy to get caught up in school or work and have the constant mindset of needing to pack every day chalk-full of activities in order to grow.
The idea of balance is one that has emerged especially this past year on social media, particularly TikTok, and is one that most people should be engaging in:
The overall idea of balance is to rest just as hard as you work. Rest doesn’t mean that you need to lie in bed doing absolutely nothing unless you want it to. It is so individualized to every person, and can mean going out one night with friends, taking a vacation, spending time with family or watching your favorite show.
Most importantly, it is taking time for yourself to take a breath and slow down, which can be so beneficial and prevent both stress and burnout.
3. Consume what is good for your body and mind
This habit is also one that I myself need to work on. Not only am I relating this habit to foods, but also media consumption. It is important to feed your mind and your body things that are good for it.
If you find yourself watching reality shows that make you feel icky about yourself, change the channel. If you spend more time than you would like to admit on TikTok as most of us are guilty of doing, pick up a new hobby.
However, like every one of these tips, it is not a one-size-fits-all diagnosis. If watching hours of TikTok every night helps you unwind, I encourage you to continue. The overall idea is to consume what makes you feel good.
4. Practice Self-Love
This is another idea that has especially emerged in the past year. It is easy to get caught up in social media and all of its facades. The idea of self love is to embrace your individuality and your uniqueness.
Once again, engage in activities that make you feel good, confident, and like your best self. This can take the form of buying yourself your favorite coffee after a hard test, staying in on a Saturday night, or actually purchasing what has been in your online cart for weeks.
It is important to do nice things for yourself, don’t be too hard, and give yourself a little bit of grace.
5. Enjoy the learning process
The last habit to carry into 2023 is to enjoy the ups and downs that occur in our everyday lives. Along with giving yourself grace is to accept that not everything is going to go the way you planned. In fact, almost nothing will go the way you expected.
This should not be a scary or frustrating concept, but almost comforting as everything will inevitably work out and you will get to where you need to be eventually. Trusting that things happen for a reason and taking life’s events as lessons to learn and redirection will help you to grow immensely in the upcoming year.
Let’s take on the new year strong, collegiettes!