Winter Term is arguably one of the hardest times to be in school, because it feels like it goes on FOREVER...And seeing as Winter Term is coming up (or has already come for some), here are five resolutions I've made to help me through the winter months, as told by the Peanuts Gang.

1. Think Less, Act More

Sometimes I can get so caught up with learning content in a class that I forget that the most important learning happens outside the classroom in real life situations. Being an English major, I learn a lot about human relations in literature. But learning from a textbook and actually building relationships with people are two very different things.The joy of the latter, even though it requires much more time and effort (and vulnerability), can never compare to the former.

2. Never Lose The Wonder

With schedules and deadlines and meetings filling up every moment of my life, it is easy to tuck my head down and barrel through my week without once looking up and appreciating the beauty and weirdness around me. To go through life moving from one thing to the next without stopping to enjoy the little moments isn't truly living. I want to enjoy the surprises, the little pleasures, the small beauties that God puts in my path this next term.

3. Worry Less

"Worry less, pray more." It's easy to say, but not easy to do. I like to be in control, and often times, worrying is my way of trying to keep my little grasping hand on the plans God has for my day, my week, my life... But it never pays off. It is only when I let go of all my worrying, and bring my anxieties to God, that I feel at peace.

4. Dethrone the Queen of Procrastination

No matter how good I get at the art of procrastination, it is always a very stressful process. I have excelled at the whole "do your paper the night before it's due without making it look like it was done the night before" thing, but it always comes with the disappointing feeling that I could have done better, even if I know that my work was acceptable, or even good. God didn't give me ability and opportunity for me to give 70% of my effort. I want to give 100% to everything I do and that means dethroning the long-reigning queen of procrastination.

5. Look Up, Not Out.

Sometimes looking out at my surroundings can be a bit depressing and bleak. The news isn't encouraging, the weather is dreary, and the future is daunting. But that's just what I can see from my 5'7" vantage point of snowy Oregon. God's view is all encompassing. He sees the bad things in the news, but He also sees the good that will come out of it. He sees the weather, but He also holds the sun in His hand. He sees my anxieties about the future, but He also smiles knowing that the future that He is guiding me on will be the adventure of a lifetime. If I get depressed looking out, it is only because I haven't spent enough time looking up. When I see things through His eyes, I am filled with hope.

Have a lovely Winter Term!