As we roll into the new year, many of us think about what we want to change about ourselves for the new year. Maybe you wanna find a new hobby or eat better, or maybe you wanna try something a little more personal. I know for me, I looked back on these past four years at Lynn and thought about how I want to start the new year and also end my college career. I thought about what changes I want to make in my life when it comes to personal struggles, hobbies, and my overall well being.
- Learning to let go
If I’m being honest, while being at college, if I have learned one thing about myself, it is that I. can’t. Let. Go. Whether it’s heartbreak over a guy, a friendship breakup, or a major life lesson, I will get stuck on it for months. I will start replaying what happened in my head, think of the other people involved how they acted and treated me, and what I could’ve done. And I know this is a problem of mine, so when it does happen and I try to let go and move on, I can’t. I decided that for 2024, when something happens, I will still reflect on it, but from now on, I want to focus on what I can do the next time.
- Focusing on me
Along with reflecting on situations, I also plan to focus on myself. One way I have already started doing this is by asking myself “What can I focus on today?” as well as “What good choices can I make today?” I know it seems like I am talking down to myself like I am talking to a kindergartner, but in a way, it helps to say things in those simplistic terms. I have also started to write affirmations on sticky notes. These include phrases like “You can do this”, “Make your teenage self proud”, and “Only YOU can have the ability to make good or bad choices”. Whenever I am having a bad day, or if I need guidance after a hard time, I know I can remind myself to stay positive with these affirmations. If you were to ask me what I think of affirmations 6 months ago, I would have said they are cheesy or only things that influencers talk about. But I learned that affirmations can be anything, not the same recycled phrases we see on social media. By doing something I have never done before, I learned that change, whether you like it or not, can be a good thing to add to your life.
- New hobbies (more like “old hobbies”)
Over winter break, I started to fall back into old interests of mine that I had in high school. In high school is when I got into the pop-punk and metalcore scene. For metalcore, I was listening to Pierce The Veil. However, for pop punk, I was listening to tons of bands such as Neck Deep, Real Friends, The Story So Far, and State Champs. These bands came out around the same time and came up with similar aesthetics in 2013-2015. I had still been listening to these bands for a little while my freshman year of college as well but hadn’t thought about them again till this past winter. I started rewatching my favorite interviews and listening to my favorite songs again. On the metalcore side, I found a band that I have always heard of but never got around to listening to. That band is A Day To Remember (also known to fans as ADTR). When I started to learn about that band, it brought me back to who I was in high school, obsessing over the 2009-2012 metalcore scene. Learning to love my old interests has brought up other memories from my high school years that I find nostalgic, and that I would not be able to remember if it wasn’t for listening to ADTR.
I am super excited for 2024, graduating college, and seeing where life takes me next! I know if I stay focused on myself and remind myself of the positives in my life, I know if I keep working on these aspects, I will become a better version of myself in 2024. What is your resolutions for the new year?