Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo
placeholder article
placeholder article

6 New Year’s Resolutions: Revamped

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UIC chapter.

New Year’s Resolutions have become all too cliché. You hear the annual classics over and over again. These are: I want to eat better or I want to go to the gym more often or I want to read more. The list goes on and on. So I’m going to switch things up this year. I wanted to create a list of New Year’s Resolutions that will hopefully make a positive difference. 

1. Be More 

Typical resolutions include this constant urge of “becoming less.” Examples of those may stem from “being less stressed” or “weighing less.” In this, people are constantly striving for less instead of more. Instead, be more. Be more generous. Be more active. Be more adventurous. Strive for more.

2. Find Passion in Your Life 

Let’s face it, life is full of mundane tasks. Some of those you just don’t want to do. Some of those you have to do. So turn it around. Don’t simply write that essay. Get yourself excited to write that essay and your feelings towards your education will become immensely different. Find passion in what you whatever you do and let it consume you in the best way possible. 

3. Find Beauty in Imperfection

Most resolutions include a way of perfecting ourselves. Instead of aiming for the unattainable, accept who you are and what you have to offer the world. Things will become much easier then. 

4. Do More Things That Make You Happy

Most people feel that life is all about justification. Instead of convincing yourself that you earned something, truly believe that you deserve it. So your idea (my idea) of a good night is spending six hours in bed watching Netflix? So be it. 

5. Do Something Everyday That Scares You

I’m not going to post that really overused “comfort zone” quote that everyone adores. However, it rings true because doing things that you are afraid of is a part of life. And the end result is usually a cathartic one because you made of true act of fearlessness. 

6. Stop Listening to People Telling You What to Do 

In ironic plot twist, I’m telling you not to listen to me. Our society has a tendency to tell us what to do, what not to do, and how to do it. Start listening to yourself more. It’s extremely liberating.

Happy 2014 everyone! Make the best of it. 

Gina Russell is a senior at the University of Illinois at Chicago. There she studies English/Communication/binge drinks coffee/complains. She is a lover of anything apple cinnamon scented and books that leave you with more questions than answers. She was born and raised in Chicago. In her spare time, though it may be scarce, she likes to emotionally listen to Florence + the Machine and Arcade Fire, go off on feminist rants, read, write, and watch poetry, add Sriracha to everything edible, incorporate tree pose into normal day activities, eat her weight in sushi, take pictures with her dog, and spontaneously combust into tears about the fact that Lollapalooza is only three days a year. If any of this happens appeal to you, you could follow her on Twitter (@geenuhhhh) or Instagram (also @geenuhhhh). Also, she happens to blog on the riveting adventures of her life or more predominately, the lack there of at http://defineweird.wordpress.com/
UIC Contributor.