During the busy holiday season our time and attention is usually focused on our loved ones. From picking out the perfect gifts to planning the perfect dinner, it can be hard for us to put ourselves first. Now that the New Year’s here, it’s time for Collegiettes to turn their attention to bettering themselves and making this new semester at STU the best one yet. Here’s a list of simple ways to better yourself and your life in 2014!
Stop caring about what other people think (to an extent).
Once you realize the only opinion that truly matters in your life is your own, you will instantly feel empowered and in charge of your life. Now, I am not saying don’t listen to your friends’ and family’s input – sometimes having someone help you think through a situation is very helpful. But at the end of the day, you are the one who has to live with the choices you made, so make sure that they are something you can proudly stand by. You can’t live your life in fear of what other people think of you, because the truth is not everyone is going to like you or agree with your decisions. As long as you’re happy, that’s all that matters! So get up onstage with your friends and sing that karaoke song at Dolan’s tonight, or try out for the sports team that you didn’t think you’d make. Once you start living life your way, without worrying about other people’s opinions, you’ll feel liberated!
Don’t compare yourself to friends.
When you’re in university, it’s hard not to compare the success of your friends to your own. We were all put on Earth for different reasons, and no two people were meant to do the same thing! We’re all progressing at our own pace and trying to figure out our paths. If you compare your path to the one of your friends, you’re doing yourself an injustice. Be happy and encourage your friend when she gets that internship or a date with the cutie in your history class, but don’t compare her good news to your life. Just because the cards aren’t in your favour right now, doesn’t mean that they won’t be soon! If anything, over time, the jealousy of comparing yourself to your friends could end up ruining your friendships. Support your friends, but be your own person.
Be more organized.
Some of you are probably reading this tip and thinking, “well of course you have to be organized.” If you already are, then you’re one step ahead of me. I may be the worst person with remembering assignments. I put them off until I forget about them and then end up doing it last minute – it seriously affected my marks last semester. When you’re organized and staying on top of everything, life can run pretty smoothly and free up some time for you on the weekends to go out with friends. I recommend going out and buying an agenda, (you can get a free agenda at the Student Help Desk in JDH). They are truly great, and they give you a chance to write down everything that’s coming up and plan out a way to get it done before the due date. You’ll never forget another assignment or meeting, which can help lower your level of stress. They seem goofy, but hey, if it’s preventing you from writing a six-page research paper the night before it’s due, use it!
Create a list of goals and work towards them.
If this year is about bettering yourself and your life, then you need to come up with a game plan to make that happen. Write down a list of long-term goals for your life. For example, maybe your dream job is becoming a professional chef! Once you understand what you want from life in the long run, you can create a list of short-term goals that help you work towards the future you want to live. Make sure that the goals you set for yourself are realistic, because lets face it, no one’s going to lose 150 pounds in a healthy way in a year. Setting achievable goals will help set a good tone throughout this New Year. Nothing is set in stone on this list, you can always revise it throughout the year and adjust your goals to fit your current wants and desires. Once you start completing things on your list, you’ll find yourself feeling successful – especially at the end of the year when you see how much you were able to cross off. You’ll realize nothing can come in the way of you and your goals when you put your mind to it!
Be happy!
Such a broad statement I know; but being happy really is something that we should all try to be more often this year. I can’t tell you how to be happy, because happiness is different for everyone. The best advice I could give you to achieve happiness is a combination of the tips above. Don’t worry about what other people think of you, if they don’t like you, then you probably didn’t need them in your life in the first place. You can’t change who you are to please other people, because it’s at the stake of your own happiness. You’ll eventually meet people in Fredericton (and around the world!) who share your likes and interests and will accept and support you for who you are. Those are the people you need to surround yourself with this year! Try not to get to let things pile up and stress you out. If you stay organized and plan out your schedule you should be able to make it through this year without too much trouble. However, things do not always go as planned, so make sure you try to keep an optimistic and open mind. Simply readjust your goals and move forward!
Want more Ashley advice? Submit your question to “Ask Ashley.” All questions will be posted on HC anonymously. To submit your questions or problems, you can email her directly at hjtsn@stu.ca with the subject “Ask Ashley.”