By the end of last semester, I was left feeling unsatisfied. I didn’t join all the clubs I had hoped to. I didn’t meet as many people as I had wanted to. I didn’t explore. I didn’t read the books I had bought. I had high hopes, to say the least, about that fall semester. Not only that semester, but all of 2016.
Therefore, I’m embarking on the “new year, new me” mindset. In the past, I have been weary to fall prey to such notions. It seemed positive, but far too susceptible to failure. To me, it was a journey you committed to for a week, then fell back on old habits. It seems superficial to want to completely transform yourself. That is not what I want. As I sit and write this, I’m hoping others out there are feeling as I am. I don’t want just this semester to be a good one. I want and hope this year will be a good one.
I sat down, and made a list. A list of all the things I wanted to do, all the nearby places I wanted to visit, all the books I wanted to read. Some may say this is ambitious and too lofty. I definitely would have too. Yet, instead of setting unattainable aspirations this time, I found the key to be setting smaller, more attainable ones.
Maybe you have similar goals like me. I want to go to the gym at least three times a week. I used to never go, and although we may only be a few weeks into 2017, I have exceeded this goal. I want to read a minimum of two or three non-school books every month. Doing so will help me expand my knowledge and find pleasure in literature again, apart from the sometimes boring works we are required to read. I want to visit a whole list of surrounding towns and attractions. This will be a whole lot easier to attain now that a few friends of mine have cars on campus. I want to dive head first back into my faith, something I got lazy with last semester. I want (and hope everyone would want) to be kinder, more open and more willing to break out of my shell. We all have our own wants and needs. These are just some of mine.
I could not even count the number of times I have heard people say how much 2016 sucked. Personally, I don’t want to feel like that this time next year. Making small positive changes for your own benefit is a great way to start a new year. That way, maybe we will have a few more positive things to say when 2018 rolls around.