New Year, New Me?

For as long as I can remember, New Year’s has never been my favorite holiday. At least from elementary to high school, all it meant was the break was close to ending, school was about to get serious with testing, and unfortunately, summer was coming. However, despite the unserious, negative emotions I harbored toward the holiday, I loved thinking about my New Year’s resolutions, which I never actually fulfilled. A few included eating healthier, reading more, writing more, etc. As I have gotten older, I have given up on resolutions, as I have simply lost track of them, or they were more “with time” resolutions that I had no patience for. However, after a long, too-restful break, I was given time to reflect; and while I don’t want to consider these resolutions, I wanted to share my “work-on” list for this year! These are in no particular order. 

#1 Be appreciative of both the big and small 

As a first-year college student, it’s often really easy to get overwhelmed and lose track of time due to various due dates or upcoming exams. Often, the only time I have to reflect or think about anything besides school is when I’m tired in bed, on the verge of falling into a deep sleep (I’m convinced I miss the first few stages). However, as stressed as I may be most of the time, as a first-gen student, it’s always an important reminder for me to remember what a blessing and privilege it is to stress over school.

It’s easy to get wrapped up in our own affairs, but taking time to look around and appreciate both the big and small things we have can be both eye-opening and also help us practice our gratitude. Something as simple as having time to hang out with friends or being able to lay in bed is something to always be grateful for. 

#2 Push through writer’s block 

I love writing! Though I do acknowledge that my writing still needs work, it has always been one of the hobbies I love most. Whether it be about a recent book I read or a recent TV show, I love writing just about anything! I also believe that, while I enjoy talking, I better express myself through writing. However, there are times when it comes to actually having to put my ideas down on a blank page, suddenly what I had to say just disappears. I find myself struggling to share my thoughts without confusing the reader and start judging if my writing sounds too rushed. Every sentence sounds choppy or isn’t insightful enough, and so on. 

As a result, I avoided writing for a few months (I think my streak hit 3 months…) before I came back with ideas. Writer’s block is never fun, and oftentimes it is hard to get through; a few things that I have begun to practice and hope to continue doing are:

1. Change my scenery: sometimes the environment is too loud, too quiet, or too still. A change in the ambiance would probably work best for increasing productivity and creative flow. 
2. Take a break: writing can be fun, but it can also be a mentally draining task, especially when you’ve been stuck on a certain part of your writing. Relax, take a walk, and come back to it when you’ve refreshed your brain.
3. Blurt: Just like the blurting method helps with studying, writing words on the page can also help. Write everything you want to say, in no order, with no structure, then when all is typed out, go back to your writing and edit, revise or expand on what you are saying. 

#3 Read more

“So many books, so little time” is how I feel when it comes to reading. While I have never considered myself to be a big reader, when I do read, I get so lost in the world that by the time I finish the book I stay stuck on it for a whole month. Unfortunately, as fun as this can be, I don’t have as much time to read, as I have to read and study for other classes. On days that I could read… I sleep in and stick to my phone. 

So of course, with the New Year, while I can’t promise myself that I’ll read every day, I do hope to be able to read on breaks. Funny enough, I decided to take a literature class this semester, and while it is heavy in both reading in writing, I know that it’ll help me stay on track with my hopes of reading more and bettering my writing! 

#4 Work on overthinking

Besides my mom and my close friends, overthinking is one of my best friends. It has been one of my longest friends, so now I just do it unintentionally sometimes. What had started as just simply overanalyzing my text, making sure it didn’t sound mean or bland, later turned into judging my own facial expressions, my actions when talking to someone, and whether talk too much and need to calm down. It’s a constant routine, which I at first didn’t mind, until I reflected while journaling and realized I needed to calm down. 

We all overthink, some more or less frequently than others, but after a lot of reflection, I realized that life is too short to fixate on such small things and that when a mistake is made, the best thing to do is brush it off and simply not repeat it.

#5 Make the most of everything

As cliché as it sounds, we really only do live once, which is why it’s worth making life memorable. One of my biggest fears is not making the most of my time right now, resulting in later regret. When I say this, I don’t necessarily mean making impulsive or reckless decisions, but instead simply taking a few more risks. For example, being more confident in myself and talking to others or going out more with friends. I also really hope that during my time in college, I’ll be able to study abroad! I too often pass up opportunities due to fear and honestly nothing else!

Something that has always stuck with me was Will Traynor’s advice to Lou in the garden scene of Me Before You:

Lou: “I’m happy here (her hometown).”

Will: “Well, you shouldn’t be…you need to widen your horizons, Clarke. You only get one life; it’s actually your duty to live it as fully as possible.”

Later on in the movie, he also tells Lou that she should be out in the world, claiming the world as her own.

It’s okay to be a homebody, to want to stay in the comfort of what is familiar, but I realized (at least for me) that I’m never really going to live unless I push myself and take part in new experiences that sometimes may only come around a few times, if not only once.

Closing thoughts

I still have many more things I would like to work on, but for now, these are the ones I am most determined to complete before the year ends. As a small note or reminder, you shouldn’t feel pressured to make resolutions or goals for yourself. It’s understandable to go into the new year unsure or just not interested in making any; it’s your life, and you get to choose what stays or leaves. If you do decide to make resolutions, make sure not to have fun with it, and don’t feel like the clock is ticking for you to finish it up. The best goals are those that have a process and come with time rather than short, easily attainable ones that may feel great achieving, but only last for a while.

I hope you have a wonderful and blessed new year. I wish you all the best! I understand that for some of us, it may be a little harder to enjoy the new year and upcoming years, but that shouldn’t stop you from continuing your progress and enjoying what life has to offer you. Please stay safe and remember that you have rights just like any other.

• #littlethings
• #resolutions
• 2025
• appreciation
• college
• goals
• new years