It’s that time again, y’all: the ball has been dropped, glasses of champagne have been downed, midnight kisses have been shared, and lame jokes like, “Omg, I haven’t talked to you since last year,” have been cracked and (deservedly) scoffed at. Yep, it’s a new year, and all of us are wondering whether we should approach it with optimism or accept the fact that it will inevitably continue 2021’s tomfoolery, and turn into yet another year from which we yearn to escape. Rather than sit with our anxieties and wait to see whether it’s going to be “our year” or another year that we will collectively pretend didn’t happen, it would be more logical to focus on what we can control. That’s why I would like to take this article to discuss my aspirations for 2022, because I can only dictate my actions and responses to what the universe throws at me.
Without further adieu, here are 22 of my resolutions; hopefully, the act of putting them both in writing and on a public platform will help me hold myself accountable:
- Read at least 10 free reads this year
I’ve always been a bookworm, but I’ve recently found myself becoming disenchanted with reading the more I’ve had to do it for class. Like, the furthest thought from my mind last summer after I’d spent the past four months flipping through hundreds of pages of dense academic text per day was, “Let me pick up another book.” However, I’ve realized that picking up a book is the best way for me to improve my vocabulary, command of English grammar, and imagination, and I should thus do it when I’m not being graded.
Some titles that I was thinking could help me accomplish my ten free read minimum are Yoke by Jessamyn Stanley, The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas, Is Marriage for White People? by Ralph Richard Banks, Hood Feminism by Mikki Kendall, and Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston. I will be scouring BookTok for more recommendations.
- Workout at least three times per week during the school year
Every semester, I tell myself that I’m going to workout every day, and then I just don’t . . . I decided that this time around, I would make my expectations a lot more realistic and aim for a rate that’s not too ambitious but is also much higher than my usual zero days per week.
- Say “No” More
I’ve always struggled to say no to people whenever they’ve asked something of me–even if it was inconvenient or made me uncomfortable–because of this sense that 1) I’m obligated to accommodate every request that comes my way and 2) people will dislike me if I decline to do what they want. I’ve realized since I began listening to The Self Love Fix podcast that my hesitancy to tell others no comes from my lack of establishing firm boundaries. I need to deprogram myself from perceiving me standing up for myself as being “mean” to others and reprogram myself to see that the only “mean” people are those who don’t respect the limits that I’ve communicated.
- Say “Yes” More
In contrast to (yet also in alignment with) the resolution above, I would like to stop letting the fear of what others think inhibit me from participating in activities and opportunities that speak to me–especially because my peers are usually too consumed by their own lives and fears to notice what I’m up to, and, even on the off chance that they do, I shouldn’t let the opinions of people who’ve never walked a day in my shoes deter me from pursuing what’s right for me.
- Start therapy
TLDR: I have many destructive thought patterns from my childhood and adolescence that I need to resolve with a licensed professional instead of further ignoring and compartmentalizing.
- Work on becoming financially literate
I know very little about dealing with personal finances, and I should probably have an idea of what I’m doing by the time I graduate.
- Learn how to apply eyeliner
I have an almost irrational fear of touching/poking my eyes, which is why I’ve steered clear of eyeliner. At the same time, though, I appreciate what a crisp cat eye can bring to a makeup look and want to recreate that for myself.
- Master basic dishes
I had to ask my mom last week how to boil water on the stove, if that gives you any indication of where I’m at in my culinary journey.
- Limit non-fish meat consumption to once per week during the scholastic year
I already do this, but I’m pushing myself to keep it up :P.
- Get comfortable with driving on the highway
This will probably be the toughest one for me. I, again, am scared of driving to the point where it’s almost irrational, but I refuse to concede that it is because of the havoc that a wreck can unleash on one’s health and finances. That said, this fear has greatly limited my mobility (not to mention inconvenienced my parents and friends), and I have to face it so that I’m not stuck once I move to a new city and can no longer rely on anyone to drive me around.
- Make more of an effort to keep up with high school friends
I met some incredible women in high school, but I’ve found myself in spells in college where I become so overwhelmed with work that I end up going weeks or months without checking in. I genuinely adore talking to them, though, and reject the fact that we no longer attend the same school as a valid reason to neglect my friendships with them.
- Shoot your shot with guys that you like/find attractive
Kinda self-explanatory, but a big motive behind this resolution is my desire to rid myself of the assumption that guys aren’t or won’t be attracted to me, as well as to deemphasize how personally I take male rejection.
- Create time for the activities that I enjoy
During the school year, I get so subsumed within the “grind” that I forget that I’m a living, breathing person and not a robot. As a result, I fail to make time to do things that I love and end up feeling detached and empty. I think that this habit has gotten better this school year, but I still would like to keep improving on it.
- Put a little less effort into schoolwork
This sounds counterproductive, but the idea behind this resolution is that I need to realize that I’m smarter than I think and don’t need to study for a quiz two weeks ahead or write an entire script for a class presentation to receive a good grade. I’m still going to work extremely hard and try my best, don’t get me wrong, but not to the point where it’s unnecessary anymore.
- Find a new song that I like every day
I often encounter ruts in which I listen to the same songs over and over. My taste is impeccable, so the ruts are lit, but I feel like there’s a part of me that stays stagnant when I refuse to venture outside of my musical comfort zone.
- Develop a consistent routine for studying for the LSAT
The prospect of more school after undergrad makes me nauseous, but I know that I should be making more of a concerted effort to at least start preparing for the LSAT so I can obtain a score that I’m proud of (and that could put me in the running for scholarships).
- Ask for help
I hate asking for help because of how I subconsciously associate it with weakness and stupidity. However, this toxic mentality has done more harm than good in that I’ve forced myself to struggle for no reason to avoid the ego bruising that would occur if and when an authority figure told me that I was wrong. I’m frequently wrong, so the prospect shouldn’t terrify me so much.Yet, it does due to the pressure (external and internal) that I’ve always felt to be perfect and be seen as perfect.
- Respond to messages in a more timely manner
I’m quite literally the worst texter in the world. Ask any of my friends or family members. I’ll see a text, read it, decide to respond to it later, forget about it, and boom–two weeks have gone by. It’s unintentional, but I’m on my phone way too much to just leave people hanging.
- Begin each day with a mindfulness meditation or uplifting podcast
I just think it would be nice to listen to something that would inspire me to approach the day with positivity!
- Research more about astrology
I used to opine that it was nonsense, but the interpretation of my birth chart pinned down my personality a little too accurately to be a coincidence. Ever since I initially dipped my toe into this world over the summer, I’ve been curious about how astrology works and what I can take away from it to better my life.
- Get into a basketball game
It’s Coach K’s last season. No further explanation required.
- Stop comparing myself to others
Comparison is the thief of joy. I find that I’m never satisfied with my achievements when I’m constantly measuring myself against others (particularly when it comes to academics, professional endeavors, and social media, etc,). I’ve determined that there’s no point in doing so when there will 99% of the time be someone who’s above me in some way. Therefore, I’ve decided that I’d rather be grateful with where I’m at and how far I’ve come than remain trapped in a perpetual cycle of unhappiness.
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So, we’ve reached the end of a long list of resolutions. Will I complete them? That remains to be seen. The good thing is that there will always be next year. if I don’t . .
Chau, and happy 2022!
XOXO,
Mackenzie