Despite the sadness of summer coming to an end, the beginning of a new season comes with its perks. Fall brings cool nights warmed up by a good friends and a bonfire, the return of everything good in the world that can be pumpkin flavored and a new school year. It's the second time in the year to set goals, start over, and redefine yourself because we all know those New Year's resolutions did not hold up until now. This fall I plan on taking school and the rest of life head on with five habits to keep me on track.
1. Get involved.
The amount of times you hear this your freshman year of college? The limit does not exist. Everyone tells you to "get involved" and "try something new." While this can get real annoying, it's not bad advice. Getting involved is a really great motto to follow for any walk of life - not just college students. Get involved at home, whether it be helping cook a meal or taking your brother to baseball practice, it's appreciated. Get involved in your school work and put forth your best effort in every assignment, homework, and test - it'll pay off. Get involved with the people you meet by being friendly, offering a hand to a stranger, volunteering, or by simply sending an appreciative text to a friend. There are many ways to get involved this fall. Honestly, the limit does not exist. Get involved in all aspects of your life.
2. Workout.
This is everybody's failed New Year's resolution, but it's OK. You're not alone. However, working out is a really great addition to a daily routine. It's doesn't have to be crazy strenuous, but devoting an hour a day to working out will not kill you. Let's be real, you can press pause on Netflix to get some time at the gym in. And if we're being even more honest, I watch Netflix when I'm on the treadmill. It's a win-win situation.
3. Read.
Just read anything at all really. Dust off your textbooks, grab a highlighter and read your assigned pages. Download a news app and scroll through some articles (because let's be real, we're not going out of our way to find a newspaper). Break out your Bible and notebook and dive into the word. Discover a new author and get lost in a good book. The possibilities are endless and should be taken advantage of. Learn something new, be informed, get encouraged and drift into thought.
4. Journal.
I'm sure you we could all dig out some old middle school notebooks and reminisce on who liked who, who your best friend that week was and discover endless pages of your crushes name but it's time to get back into the art of journaling. It doesn't have to be elaborate, Instagram worthy doodles or quotes or a play by play of your day. A simple page of some goals, struggles, prayers, highs and lows of the day or week will do. Sometimes just getting your thoughts out on paper can make all the difference. To look back in a month and see that you did lose those five pounds you talked about, bought and finished that book so and so suggested, broke off that toxic friendship or went on that trip you were desperately saving for will give you a boost. Slow down and take some time to yourself and put those thoughts on paper.
5. Give.
It can get easy to get caught up in our own little world but it's time to take a step back and give. Everyone's heard "it's better to give than to receive," and it truly is. Give your time by volunteering, give a hand to the girl moving in next door, give 100 percent at work, give your mom a phone call, give your savings account a little extra love. Giving your attention and effort into those little things in life can really make a difference in your morale and outlook of life. Getting into that mentality of giving is better than receiving will all around make for a better, happier lifestyle.
This fall is the perfect chance to make it a goal to take up these five habits. After all, you can make new goals in a couple months when the New Year rolls around and start all over again.
