(Spotted: South wing of the Fountains.)
At the end of every year our social media is flooded with the same phrase from all of our friends: “New year, new me.” It’s all about the resolutions!
But, if we’ve learned anything from last year (and the year before that, and the year before THAT), it’s that NYRs are easy to make, and incredibly difficult to hold on to past February.
So this year, maybe we can try something new! Instead of declaring a total self-transformation for the sake of a change in date, why not claim the year as one for dedicating yourself to yourself? A slow, yet effective, self-reformation.
There’s no need to do a complete 180 on the person you were last year, because let’s face it, you’re still them! But, if there are some things that you wish to tweak or alter, there are ways to do that where in the end, all of your efforts count, and you can get the most out of 2015.
If you want to save money:
So, maybe 2014 wasn’t as much of a frugal year as you would have hoped. It’s okay! There are small things that you can do over the next 12 months that can help you make better decisions when it comes to saving and spending your money. Here are the top three that we have found:
- Carry cash. Being able to physically see what you spend your money on will make you think twice about whether or not you really need it.
- Save your fives. Or tens. Or ones. Pick a bill, and whenever you get it as change (because you get change now, thanks to the cash you carry!), put it aside until the end of the year. You’ll be surprised at how much you can save!
- Think about it. Really, really think about it. Do you have anything similar to this shirt in your closet? Are you hungry, and want buy from the Boathouse, or are you just bored and procrastinating? Is this selfie-stick really worth it? Give your purchases a second thought, and decide if this is something that absolutely needs to happen.
If you want a better academic semester:
Great news! The Thomas G. Carpenter Library is now open 24 hours! (Well, most of the time. Check here for official hours.)
That means that you have ample amounts of time to hit the books, and study. Even though the semester is fairly new, there are still things that can be done!
The library is the easiest place to study because the distractions are so limited. (The third and fourth floors provide the quietest spaces.) Gather what you need for whatever assignment you need to do, and don’t leave until you understand. Finishing your work and understanding it are two different things- and they’re the difference between a successful semester, and one that is less so.
If you want to be healthier:
Hitting the gym as soon as January 2nd comes is what is expected of this kind of resolution. However, once March rolls around, it’s easy to see the thinning of the students who are working out.
Healthy does not mean you have to be in the fitness center five days out of the week. And it also doesn’t mean you can only drink kale smoothies for breakfast. Healthy means healthy. Which means it’s different depending on the person.
Maybe you can slowly cut out drinking four bottles of soda a day, and replace at least two with water. Go for walks in the morning before class, and eventually, they may turn into running in the morning. Try healthier meals once a week, and then twice, and sooner or later the habit will catch on. Take up yoga! (There are free morning classes offered at the fitness center!)
There are little things that you can do throughout the year that can improve the status of your body that don’t necessarily include the commitment gyms require.
If you want to avoid boredom:
Make a list of simple things you want to do from right now. (Or, check out this 2014 version and tweak it you your liking!) It can be anything, but make sure it’s something that you are excited about doing. Maybe you want to take a road trip to a certain city, or volunteer somewhere downtown. Find 10 things you want to do, and write them down on pieces of paper. Put them in a jar or box or… whatever. Then, every month, pick one, and do it. Give yourself until the completion of your project to pick the next. If it takes you less than a month, then wait it out a few weeks, just to stretch out the time. If not, take your time! Try to limit yourself to having only a month to do them, but always make sure you enjoy whatever you’re doing.
The randomness of whatever you draw keeps the year exciting and fresh, and by December, you’ve accomplished everything that you wanted to when the year first started.
(We have found inspiration from various blogs, like this one, and realized that you can also use this to remember all of the good things that have happened throughout the year. Whenever you do something, or something happens to you, that you find memorable, write it down! Stick it in a jar or envelope, or anywhere that you can keep them together. Later, at the end of the year you can dump them all out, and have a great time remembering all of the good things 2015 brought you.)
If you want to find you:
There’s nothing wrong with dedicating a year to figuring out who you are. Shoot, there’s nothing wrong with taking your time, and figuring out yourself as you go through your entire life. But, there are some things we can all do that will make the process easier.
Keep a journal or blog where you can be completely unadulterated, and unapologetically your own. Don’t force yourself to commit to writing in it once every day, or setting a time to blog or write. Instead, whenever you feel the need to vent or are confused about something or feel that you want to, write it out. You’ll eventually come to find a pattern on how you react to things, and where your mind goes when you get frustrated. (And also, what things frustrate you the most!) Being able to see this, all laid out in front of you, let’s you figure out… you. Or, at least gets you on the right track. What can be a better ending to a year than that?
Just because the year changes, does not mean you as a person has to. (Just imagine all the different people you’d have to be!) But, it does give you a chance to focus on things that weren’t so great for you in the previous year, and change it up a bit.
But, it’s important to remember:
Resolutions and New Years are not exclusive. You don’t need a New Year to change! Waiting for the ball to drop every December to be able to say you started 20XX differently wastes time. If you want to make a resolution in the middle of July, go for it. You work on your own time, and you want to make it all matter.
Good luck, collegiettes!
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