New Year’s Resolutions

New Year’s resolutions can get a bad rep. For some, what may start in January as a varied and colorful list of goals, can lead to resentment and even shame when some (or, let’s be honest, most) of those resolutions are not met. Whether you’re a resolution hater or a lapsed resolution practicer, I am here to encourage you to think of resolutions in a different way.

Maybe you are a junior in high school, or you are in the middle of a gap year. Perhaps you are already in college and are considering transferring to a new school. Wherever you are in your education journey, a new year can feel daunting. Trust me, I’ve been there. I remember feeling incredibly overwhelmed in January of my sophomore year of college. The semester stretched out ahead of me, full of unknowns and stress. What I wish I could have told myself then, is that there are small, steady ways to take ownership and walk forward with hope.

I love resolutions because they are the perfect opportunity to be 100% honest with yourself. Resolutions allow you to really take inventory of your previous year and acknowledge the things you did well in addition to areas of opportunity. When you take the time to sit down, gather your thoughts and emotions, and check in with yourself, something special happens. You give yourself the space to process where you are now and where you want to go.

I begin building my resolutions by asking questions. You have just finished another year of life – are your priorities in the right place? What have you learned about yourself in the last twelve months? Do you like the person that you are? Are there any habits you need to stop doing, or new routines you want to incorporate into your life? How do you spend your time? When we are truly honest with ourselves, the real work of putting things into practice can begin.

Now that you have a sense of where you are at and where you want to go, you can write down clear action steps (resolutions) that will help you walk forward. For example, I have a chronic problem of being late. So, one of my resolutions this year is to adjust my sleeping schedule so I am going to bed earlier and waking up earlier. This will allow me to have more time in the morning to still do things that are important to me (make coffee…always, read, be in solitude, journal) and then leisurely get ready for the day so I’m not rushing around.

It can help to start small and commit to doing those few things well. Whether it’s making your bed every morning, or studying an extra hour every week, positive changes beget positive changes. You have the agency now to make the changes that will set you up well for a new year and for college. Here’s to a year that’s better than the last!

// Photo by Kelly Sikkema //