The fact that the year 2022 has ended already almost made me spiral. It baffles me every day how life and time continue to move forward whether you like it or not. What almost sent me into a spiral was the fact that I have one more year left to graduate and that I will be turning 21 in 2023. Both things seemed like a fever dream back in high school, and now that I’m closer to those landmarks, it feels surreal.
The reality of it all is that it will come whether I’m ready for it or not, and that applies to everything. That’s just how life is. Even if you’re not prepared for it, life will throw it at you anyway. It’s all about how you handle it when it comes.
What I realize helped me a lot throughout my life is setting realistic goals for myself and making an effort in making them happen. The truth is, anyone can set a goal. That isn’t the hard part. The hard part is actually doing it. My boyfriend taught me that I tend to walk out on the promises that I make for myself. Trust me, when he said it, it was a big slap in my face. But, it was what I needed to hear.
As humans, we tend to excuse ourselves from doing things because of a valid reason. The problem is that we tend to use that same excuse to keep excusing ourselves. If you’re that person, here’s your reality check.
Excusing yourself from promises that you make for yourself is the ultimate form of self-disrespect that you can ever do. Read that again.
By doing so, you’re basically putting yourself off. You’re rejecting yourself. You’re abandoning yourself.
One of my new year’s resolutions was to make more of an effort to read for fun. I was an avid reader back in my day, and after attending college, it was hard for me to find the fun in reading since all I did was read textbooks. But this year, I intend on finishing at least 5-10 books. *See—realistic and attainable as a college student*
My other new year’s resolution was to go to the gym on a consistent basis. I often make this a goal of mine and end up giving up when my classes and schedule get too intense. But this year, when that happens, I vow that I will pick it right back up at least a week after. After all, the important thing about taking a pause on a goal is to make sure that it resumes no matter what. You can ensure this by setting a time limit on the pause and then disciplining yourself and picking up right where you left off.
My last new year’s resolution is to prioritize myself more. It’s hard being a resident assistant, part-time worker, and a college student all simultaneously. I need to set boundaries not only with people in my everyday life but with work and with myself. This has been a struggle and ongoing goal for me, but what matters is that there is progress.
Setting goals for yourself is easy because it’s easy to dream about what can be; what you’d be like at the end of it, and what your life would be like at the end of it. What isn’t easy is getting there. Getting to what you want your life to look like. Here’s what I want you to do this year: to not prioritize the end result, but to prioritize the journey. Corny as heck, I know, but it’s what people tend to refrain from thinking about, and that’s where everything falls down.
When you fall in love with the journey, getting to your destination will be a lot more attainable and fulfilling. We got this. Happy new year!