As the clock counts down on New Year’s Eve, many begin to organize their “New Year, New Me” resolutions and goals, planning for the New Year to be the start of the journey to become the best versions of themselves. While this is a great time to find a community for bettering yourself, as many others are planning similar lifestyle changes, no rule says Jan. 1 is the only time for you to set new goals and adapt your day-to-day routine.
It’s a part of human nature to naturally change and progress at all times throughout the year, especially in college where one’s identity is constantly (and I mean CONSTANTLY) evolving. That means it’s important that your goals grow with you. It’s never too early or too late in the year to take on new resolutions.
Not to mention, with the setting of New Year’s resolutions comes inherent pressure from society and those around you to keep up with those resolutions. As those around you create January goals, you might find yourself accidentally comparing your progress to their progress (and social media does not make it easy to avoid this), which can take away from your journey. When setting goals throughout the year, you’re following your schedule and responding to your journey, not the timeline of everybody else. It can be more private to set goals at different points in the year.
Additionally, it’s important not to put strict limits on your goals and allow yourself some leeway in your progress. Instead of saying, “I need to go to the gym four times a week and burn x amount of calories,” try and motivate yourself to move your body in any productive way as often as you can. This can take the form of going on a walk with a friend, having a private dance party in your room after a long day, or even just choosing to take the stairs to class instead of riding the elevator (a habit that I, myself, personally need to break).
Another good example of this is not putting firm limits on your screen time. While it is tremendously important to take time away from your phone, forcing yourself to never check Instagram or Snapchat isn’t always the most productive way to meet your goals. Instead, aim to reduce your screen time each week. Starting when you set this goal, write down or take a screenshot of what your screen time is looking like, then check in weekly to see how you’re faring. It will get easier over time and the accomplishment you feel when Apple alerts you “Your screen time is down this week,” will be more fulfilling than forcing yourself to avoid social media altogether.
The most important part about creating and setting goals is that they align with the type of person you want to be! Goals are designed to help us motivate ourselves and push ourselves to be the best version of ourselves…so make sure that your goals are about what you are looking to achieve. Try to avoid comparing your goals to those of others and focus on how you want to improve or better yourself instead.
So don’t wait until New Year’s Eve to start setting new goals, every day is a fresh start and an opportunity for you to take care of your mind, body, and spirit!