New year! New decade! … New me?! I’ve never been a huge fan of resolutions. I think it’s silly to put so much pressure on becoming a whole new person on January 1. However, at the beginning of 2019, I reflected on my mistakes of 2018 and then formulated my intentions for the new year. Going in with a positive mindset helped me experience my best year yet. Even during the best of times, though, there is always room to grow. After reflecting on 2019, here are some goals I hope to accomplish in 2020.
- Stop taking on more than I can handle.
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In 2019, I learned that I thrive on being busy. I am at my happiest when I have assignments to work on, extracurriculars to help out with, and lots of plans to hang with friends. As much as being busy is motivating, I also have a pattern of over-involving myself to the point that I don’t prioritize taking care of myself. I oftentimes get too emotionally invested and end up saying yes to too many responsibilities. In 2020, I hope to stay busy but also eliminate unnecessary stressors that I don’t need to take on.
- Be attentive to gut instincts.
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Life is full of surprises, but also predictable in many ways. Over the years, I’ve realized that friendships/relationships always end for a reason I noticed early on, but chose to ignore as being an issue. I’m sure 2020 will bring in new characters into my life, and I hope to be more in tune with my gut feelings on people and situations.
- Eliminate tendencies to self-blame.
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Whenever a scenario does not go as planned, I am often quick to look inward as to what I did to contribute to the outcome of the situation. In many ways, being reflective helps me to call out my own mistakes and realize what I need to do in order to improve myself. At the same time, though, I can self-blame to an extreme and then feel guilty about a scenario that was in fact out of my control. Anyone close to me has probably at some point told me to stop overanalyzing. In 2020, I hope to not dwell on things as much and forgive myself for my mistakes.
- Be open and adventurous.
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For most of my life, I’ve always played it pretty safe. I’m a big rule follower naturally, and I can get stuck in my own routine. In 2019, though, I started stepping outside my comfort zone and saying yes to new experiences. The YOLO mentality, some might call it. I hope to continue that adventurous spirit in 2020!
- Prioritize health and happiness.
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For most of my teen years, I struggled with chronic migraines, and the illness took over my life. 2019 was the first year in a long time where I felt healthy again and didn’t have an illness standing in my way of pursuing all the things that make me happy. Health and happiness are what matters most in life; I hope to keep a positive attitude in 2020 and not get hung up over the little things that ultimately do not matter.