It’s that time of the year again, everyone grab a pen and a piece of paper because you and I are about to make a long list of all our flaws and the necessary actions we must take to becomie better versions of ourselves. We do this every year, some us even every day, regardless of whether or not it’s a new year. The only difference in 2015 is that we are actually going to complete our “To Do” list.
Let us cheat ourselves into believing we’re actually improving ourselves as individuals by listing small but obtainable goals. We may not become Miranda Kerr or Amal Alamuddin overnight, but a list with clear objectives is sure to keep us on the right track to self-improvement.
#1. ACTUALLY EXERCISE: When it comes down to fitness, my motto is very simple; “Ain’t nobody got time for that.” But this year, I learned this phrase can also be applied to my spending time at multiple stores in order to find a pair of pants that match up with my frequent size changes. Every year, I promise myself to start exercising so I can develop a healthy habit, but two days into my resolution, I completely forget about it. I always excuse my inactive lifestyle by claiming that I simply do not have enough time for exercise.
But, this year was different. During the exam period I wasted a whole day watching random YouTube videos from Jenna Marbles to Ellen’s show clips, and I came across an interview with Michelle Obama where the First Lady of the United States claimed that she exercises “every day for about an hour and a half” before starting her day at the white house. On one hand, I just confessed that I actually do have the time to invest in daily exercise as watching YouTube videos occupy a good portion of my day, and if Michelle Obama makes the time to exercise daily, I don’t see why I can’t make time for 30 minutes of exercise.
I may think that I don’t have time but this year, I’m going to put exercise on the same high pedestal as my academic life and make the needed time. I’m sure 30 minutes taken away from my day here and there won’t have a drastic effect on my overall GPA.
YES WE CAN.
***Let’s make this our daily outfit***
#2. STOP DISTRACTING YOURSELF: Since we’re on the topic of YouTube videos, it’s only fair for me to reveal my recent addiction to YouTube vloggers. Before getting into detail, I’d like to state that this addiction developed as the assignments and tests kept piling on throughout first semester. Every time I was supposed to do one of my readings or assignments, I told myself “just one more video.” Somehow, I would start off on the recent hottest music videos, shift to prank videos, and end up watching multiple vlogs that aren’t even interesting. I simply watch them to see how other people in the world are enjoying themselves while I’m trapped in my room “trying” to study my upcoming tests.
I plan on turning off all my electronics every time I need to study, for the rest of the academic year. I’m too impatient and lazy to have my electronics continuously turned on and off, so once I turn off my phone and computer, I won’t be tempted to turn back to it. I am solely relying on my lazy nature to not turn on my computer while attempting to do some of my readings.
#3. GET OFF SOCIAL MEDIA: This is not too different from #2, but investing time on social media sites like Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook is so common that it simply deserves a category of its own. These sites are very dangerous simply because they make time pass so quickly and it only pushes me towards further procrastination. my academic and professional work piles until I get off the sites, and by then I’m too tired to do anything but sleep. More importantly, my time on these sites, especially Facebook, results in mental fatigue fatigue. Every university student can agree that sleep is a rare treat that we deny ourselves during the academic year, but when we are presented with the opportunity to sleep an extra hour earlier, we tell ourselves we’ll just quickly check on Facebook. One post leads to another and before you know it, it’s two hours before your morning class. Too bad you’re too tired to even get yourself to bed, nevermind to class in time. This is a never-ending cycle that affects every aspect of my daily life, from interactions with my peers to my concentration level in class.
This year, I will cut down my time on Facebook time to only 2 hours per day. I believe that I can overcome the vicious cycle by working on my prioritization skills and self-discipline.
#4. BE PRODUCTIVE: This one should really be at the top of my list but realistically speaking, it’s the hardest to manage. Due to weekly tests and quizzes, I tend to go to the library a lot and do the bare minimum as a student by pretending to be working hard, while I’m actually texting friends or simply daydreaming. This habit resulted in constant sress and time pressure as I approached the aforementioned test and assignment deadlines.
This year I plan on going to the library with a group of friends who are intensely serious about their study sessions and who’ll most likely stare me down if they catch me not working. I’m sure I’ll get the necessary motivation to stay focused on my work while studying along their side.
#5. DRESS PROPERLY: At the end of the day, we’re not just robots mechanically welded to our textbooks. We have to to have at least one non-academic related resolution on our New Year’s Resolution list. I have come to the conclusion that my bizarre study habits do not give me an excuse to dress like a cavewoman. Believe it or not, I used to come to school like I was starring in a fashion show. Now I wish I could come to campus covered in a onesie and blanket. So what if I pulled an all-nighter? Comfortable outfits can be donned in less than thirty seconds. To my fellow collegiettes, particularly the freshmen going through the same experiences as myself, let us choose a pair of jeans, sneakers and a comfy sweater or plain white T-shirt over U of T sweats and hoodies. A pair of jeans and a plain T-shirt will make you look like a “studiously-chic” collegiette.
I will put in an extra thirty minutes in the morning to comb the wild creature that is my hair and put on real people clothes, and spend the rest of the day feeling confident and well put-together.
And thus, concludes the short but hopefully manageable list of the things I would like to improve on for 2015. Perhaps some of you will already have a few of these items on your new years resolutions list, and this can be a lifestyle change we can embark on together. I hope you will join me in my year-long journey to following through with my list of new year’s resolution, and I wish you the best of luck with yours!
Check out this short video clip of the First Lady of the United States proving the benefits of maintaining a daily exercise schedule
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTAIedFfUBU
References
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