No New Year’s Resolution this year? No problem. Yup, you read that title correctly! If we’re being honest here, while the purpose of resolutions is to let go of any bad habits or flaws, we often fall short of them because we’re focusing too much on the end goal of meeting these expectations rather than the process and growth that can follow. Three weeks into 2020, and I can’t promise you that I remember to take my vitamins every morning and that I haven’t lost my glasses at least twice already this semester. But I’m aware of these things, I notice and accept them, and I cut myself some slack, and you should, too.
To me, a true resolution isn’t something time sensitive to 2020; instead it’s adopting a healthier way of living and a new mindset. It’s not pressuring yourself to “do better” simply because there’s the pressure of a new year looming ahead but because you genuinely want to improve. It’s being kinder to yourself, and realizing that mistakes don’t necessarily equate to failure and being open. Better is an adjective, often rooted in a fixed mindset, which can often suggest comparison or the feeling that you need to change in some way in order to feel successful or accomplished this year. It’s not changing who you are, but changing the way in which you view challenges. Putting in the work to be better for yourself is something entirely different that you’re doing for the sake of self care. While goal setting is very important, setting attainable goals and reevaluating how and why we’re setting these goals are often overlooked.
As a new semester begins, this pressure of choosing a resolution and sticking to it only increases. Whether it’s wanting to branch out socially on campus or vowing to keep your notebooks and folders organized, sit yourself down, look inward, and ask yourself, “Why am I setting this goal?” Because the truth is, goal-setting is not, and should not, be limited to just January 1st. If you want something, follow your heart and chase that goal regardless of what the date is. A common misconception surrounding the famed New Years’ Resolution is that it’s never too early or late to start working towards your ambitions. Maintaining consistency and balance are often the most difficult aspects of goal-setting, but often the most rewarding. Interested in establishing more of a gym routine? Start by choosing two days during the week and committing just thirty minutes to an hour to the treadmill, gradually building up with time. Want to start drinking more water? Invest in a water bottle, buy some cute Redbubble stickers to customize, and set a certain amount to drink before each meal and at different points throughout the day. No one’s experience in achieving their goals will look the same and that’s how we can learn from one another. Check in with yourself, listen to your body and mind, and just be patient, Rome wasn’t built in a day.
At the end of the day, we’re all humans just trying to make it. We mess up, overthink, and sometimes say things we don’t mean. While having a conscious awareness of these things is important, they are all human and completely normal. So it’s three weeks into 2020, I am doing well, but I certainly don’t have it all together or figured out. Maybe I am unsure about some things but I am alive, I am healthy, I am breathing, and I am open to change, but not changing the things that make me unique. I am present and doing the best I can at being a college student juggling five classes and a human being. To all my goal-setters and achievers out there reading, don’t lose hope! Most goals require a decent amount of time and energy, and nothing is impossible with the right mindset and drive. You’ve got this! Maybe the kickoff year to the Roaring 20s won’t be full of mansions and Long Island beach parties, but I know that either way, it’s going to be a great one.