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The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at JMU chapter.

Take the time for gratitude. 

It can be so easy to ruminate on what went wrong this year and forget about all the good that happened. Remind yourself that the hard things you went through made you stronger and shaped you into who you’re supposed to be. Slowing down and taking the time to remember what went right and what you can keep doing is key to being successful in 2024. Gratitude can also change your mindset and cause your motivation to increase significantly. Making a habit of practicing gratitude changes everything. 

Protect your peace.

Some things in life are just not worth your energy. Constantly giving your energy away to people or experiences that aren’t good for you is draining and will eventually leave you with no energy at all. Remember to stop and ask yourself if you’ve been putting your energy into people who wouldn’t do the same for you. Starting the new year off feeling at peace with yourself and others can cause you to be a much happier person, which leads you to be more open to new experiences and people who are good for you. 

You are who you surround yourself with.

Surrounding yourself with people who are constantly negative will leave you feeling negative. If you want to become the best version of yourself, surround yourself with people who are similar to the version of you that you want to become. For example, if you have friends who have positive attitudes, you will soon start to have one as well. Don’t feel guilty about being picky with who you allow yourself to be close with. Doing what is best for you is so important. 

Being yourself is more important than being liked by everyone.

The truth is, not everyone is going to like you. It may sound harsh, but once you realize this, you’ll soon understand that being yourself will leave you feeling much more fulfilled than trying to please others. Why waste precious time being alive trying to please people you were never meant to please? You’re only alive for so long. Why waste these years trying to be someone you’re not? It will only leave you feeling unhappy and unfulfilled.

Abby is a WRTC major at JMU who has a love for writing, Taylor Swift, and books!