The Ball in Times Square has dropped, the confetti has been thrown, and the cheesy New Year’s Eve noisemakers, hats, and crowns have been tucked away until next year. Do you feel any different?
If you don’t, you should. Although time in the sense that we typically think of it (minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years) is a product of human ingenuity and isn’t really, well, “real,” the arrival of the New Year provides us with the powerful ability to start a new chapter of our lives with the title of “2017” on the cover of the book.
Probably the first question you were asked on the first day of the New Year by a family member or friend was, What are your New Year’s Resolutions? And you probably said something along the lines of going to the gym every day, trying harder in school, or overall trying to be a nicer person (some very common resolutions). Of course, there’s nothing wrong with these, but inevitably, one day, you’ll forget to follow your resolution and it will feel like you’ve failed.
There’s a couple of things wrong with that way of thinking, in my opinion. Firstly, one failed attempt does not equate to failure. Get that out of your head pronto, this 2017, because that’s an archaic, unrealistic idea. Just because you forgot to go to the gym or because you didn’t act in a way according to your resolution doesn’t mean all hope is lost. Secondly, why not, instead of making a resolution, don’t you set a goal for yourself to aspire to instead?
I love making lists. I make lists for everything. It’s my way to add some order in the midst of everyday life, which, as a college student, can often feel exciting, but chaotic. In 2016, I had a literal checklist of things that I wanted to complete during the year, and then when some of those things didn’t get done, I looked back and felt that I wasted some of my time. In 2017, I’m ditching the list. I’m ditching the checklist of things that I want to have done by the last second of 2017. Instead, I’m setting a general goal for myself: to try to live more intentionally and in the moment. To try and make things happen more instead of just settling for them. I think that if I reflect on 2017 and can honestly said that I tried to do that, I will feel more content and satisfied with the way 2017 went.
So, forget your resolutions. Forget the (frankly sometimes ridiculous) expectations you’ve created for yourself and erase the idea that if you mess up once, you’ve failed beyond repair. You are still human, this New Year. Cut yourself some slack.
Trust the natural ebb and flow of your life. You will make the right decisions if you believe in yourself and have faith that, if something is meant to be, it will manifest itself in your life. And most of all, have a peaceful 2017. Let’s enjoy the ride this time around; cheers!
