In case your spring semester classes have been making the days fly by like mine have, CONGRATULATIONS! You are officially a month and a half into the new year! Give yourself the biggest pat on the back — you did that girl.
If you’re like me, the new year opens up a whole new jar of nerves and anxiety, all combined with that prevailing idea that you must “find yourself” or “truly be your best self” this year. Obviously, I am so pro-romanticizing life. But do I think that a resolution is needed to do so? Absolutely not.
In the past, I would always attempt to make new year’s resolutions that ended up involving some sort of change with my body. I would incessantly count calories and guilt trip myself into spending hours at the gym when I had already had an exhausting day. This ultimately left me with a very unhealthy relationship with food that lasted long into my college career.
Some of my closest friends know that I am anti-new year’s resolutions for many reasons. Not only is this due to my own personal experience, but it is also due to the negative emotions that may accompany these new objectives. You want to commit to something but then life catches up with you and it may be a harder challenge than you originally anticipated. And that is ok!
According to a recent article by Forbes Health, the average new year’s resolution only lasts 3.74 months. We’re already halfway to that point in 2024.
Furthermore, the term “resolution” is defined as “a firm decision to do or not to do something”. To my ears, it sounds very stringent, almost permanent. In other words, one may consider “the firm decision to do or not to do something this new year” a little intimidating… I know I would.
The term “goal”, on the other hand, is defined as “the object of a person’s ambition or effort; an aim or desired result”. Sounds a little more welcoming, am I right?
So as the Positive Polly that I am, I am now deeming “New Year’s Resolutions” as “New Year’s Goals”. The new year should be something that is enjoyed, that excites you even! So if you’ve made a new year’s resolution that maybe isn’t turning out like you hoped, don’t be too hard on yourself.
At the end of the day, what I’m trying to say is that college life is HARD. You try to juggle school, work, a social life and more throughout these 4+ years. It’s intimidating, and it can be made even more so when trying to stick to your “firm decision”.
So if you’re still rocking that new year’s resolution, I give you the BIGGEST high five, girl. But if not, that’s totally cool, too! If you want, we can brainstorm some new year’s goals together. Here’s what I have so far:
Enjoy more time outdoors
Read one book a month (hopefully more!)
Cook new meals at home
Make a bucket list of cool local adventures
Discover new outfits from clothes I already have in my closet
Listen to more educational podcasts
Get to know myself better