Greetings Her Campus readers!Â
First and foremost, Happy New Year! The start of 2025 will help individuals develop the goals they want to create and continue working towards. The reason is that it gives us self-awareness and ways to express it. Stepping into a new year provides us with opportunities for personal growth, such as how to build social connections with peers and academics, and to ensure that everything is organized and in place. Social connections matter the most in our lives. Here are my personal goals for 2025 in order to achieve self-growth.
1. Being mindful
When it comes to being mindful, if you need your alone time to focus, embrace these wise words from Peloton instructor Cody Rigsby about meditation: “Self-care is never selfish.” This quote is stuck in my mind everywhere I go. Even if I need to take a break from studying, or when I’m on my lunch break, there’s a time to have some peace. Another thing about being mindful is being aware of the surrounding areas and being present in the moment, both physically and mentally. The most important thing about mindfulness is not to overwork yourself or overthink what you do; let your mind and body rest. Another way of practicing mindfulness could be doing yoga, low-impact workouts, or meditation. Mindfulness is not just listening to guided meditations or music, but journaling your feelings and thoughts that you have in mind, what you did today, something that you have accomplished, or something that you tried that was new to you. Try finding something that you want to watch to unwind. For example, I watched a documentary series called Chef’s Table before I went to bed, which eased my mind after a long day.
2. Time management
Purposeful organization of our schedules is crucial when it comes to time management. Throughout the years, I’ve been jotting down notes in my calendar, making sure I keep track of my time management skills, especially when it comes to important assignments or activities outside of school. I was able to follow along, stay alert, and make sure that I was ready to meet my time management goals. For example, if I miss something that was on the calendar, I remake a list of tasks and stick with them no matter what. It can be difficult sometimes, but putting something in the calendar and also in other apps, such as the Reminders app, helps me stay on top of things.Â
3. Enhancing relationships
It can be difficult to find some flexibility in our schedules when we want to see our peers that we maybe haven’t seen in a while. Beyond personal growth goals, we’re able to explore more options and possibilities to expand our lives moving forward. Enhancing relationships includes building friendships, bonds with professors, being closer to family members, and more. For academics, having an enhanced relationship with your professors can look like knowing when to ask for help on class materials that you’re confused about, and being open to communication. Socially, there’s a practice among ourselves. For example, if a friend had something that came up, they could text their friend that they can’t go to the meet-up and work together to find another time to connect.Â
To summarize, these guidelines could help you through the semester and the rest of this year. Remember, it’s okay to ask for help and reach out to your peers if something comes up. I wish you the best of luck in the spring semester, and Happy New Year!Â
Editor’s note: the Her Campus at Pace editorial team also contributed to this story.