As the beginning of the year always comes with big expectations, it has been like a trial run to see what resolutions are going to stick. And while we all had big plans to start fresh on Jan. 1, time is a construct. But do you want to know the truth? We can restart any time we want, and a new calendar year isn’t a silver bullet. Instead of crazy goals like waking up at 3 a.m. every day to prepare for a marathon or consuming 200 grams of protein a day, I’ve leaned into smaller shifts. These aren’t quite goals but things that are worth choosing to prioritize this year.
Solitude
I believe choosing yourself over anyone else is the most important and rewarding thing you can do. There is something so freeing in being comfortable with being alone without feeling lonely. As a college student, sometimes I’m pressured into feeling like I need to be everywhere at all times to get the “true” college experience. The truth is, I’ve learned finding time alone on a college campus is probably one of the hardest things to do. There is so much stigma around the fear of missing out — it’s so easy to lose sight of what we want to do and who we want to do it with. Solitude isn’t just about the environment you are in; it’s about what is happening inside your brain and what you can do to control what is happening to it. According to author Cal Newport, the summarized definition of solitude is, “a subjective state in which your mind is free from input from other minds.”
Horses
Feb. 17 marks the year of the fire horse, representing energy and freedom. I’m not very into astrology, but I do still believe we should all try to channel the carefree nature of horses — sometimes we all need a reminder that life isn’t always that serious. The main focus for the new year represented through the horse is their ability to break through even the toughest obstacles with forward motion — like finally doing that thing you’ve been putting off, or trusting your gut and entering a new path with new goals in mind you once thought were unachievable. Figuring out your limits is something everyone must do, but the only way to truly discover them is by pushing past what feels comfortable. As The Rolling Stones once said, “wild horses, we’ll ride them someday.” With it only being the year of the horse every 12 years, that someday is now.
Substack
Not to sound cliche, but consuming something other than social media in the morning really is as nice as everyone says it is. What’s my “in” for this year? It’s Substack. It’s a great way to gain information without worrying about comparisons, ads, streaks, etc. No matter if you’re waking up or just taking a break throughout the day, reading “17 Powerful Sentences by Carl Jung That Will Change How You View the World” seems a heck of a lot more beneficial than trying to figure out what “67” means, if you ask me. It spans from quotes, articles, recipes, political news, workouts — you name it. There is truly something for everyone. I’m not saying to banish social media all together, that would just be crazy, but I am saying I believe that an article a day will keep the blues away.
Gratitude
I think practicing gratitude is one of the hardest things people can do, or forget to do. It is so easy to complain about the little things that you forget to enjoy them just as much. If you wake up thinking that your day is going to be awful, of course you’re going to notice that the elevator took extra long that morning. If you decide to have a good day, you recognize every green light you get on your way to work. It is so easy to be consumed by what is going wrong, sometimes it’s hard to see what is going right. Taking a step back to realize everything you have, rather than what you lack, is incomparable. Focusing exclusively on your problems increases them, and when we stop complaining about things we can’t control, we can start progressing, finally seeing everything that is going right in our lives.
My takeaway from the beginning of this year and my mindset for the rest is to have fun with everything, and nothing is that serious. Try your best at everything, and if it doesn’t work out, it wasn’t meant to be. And above all else, embrace your inner horse.