A new year has finally dawned upon us. This time of year always brings reflection, self-assessment, resolutions.

This year, I encourage you to choose yourself. Save romantic relationships for later on in life. Focus on your own personal growth and development.

A lot of the struggles I hear from my friends seem to always result back to a significant other. Having a romantic relationship in college may sound nice in retrospect, but it should not be something you prioritize at this point in your life. We are still discovering who we are! We are still creating our own identity and sense of self. Relationships are composed of two separate whole people. Become and discover your whole self first, before you try to discover someone else.

Focus on your school, your career, your success. Where are you going in life? What are you going to do with your future? Start sitting down with yourself and asking these big questions. Stop wondering what they are doing. Why aren’t they texting you back? Where are they? Who are they with? These thoughts are unproductive. Meddling the other person is not going to make them love you more.

You need to try and find love for yourself. Things like relationships will come on their own time. If you are not actively working on your own happiness, you’ll be missing out on all the experiences that make yourself a whole person. Sacrificing too much of your own happiness in a relationship will set your relationship up for an imbalance of power.

If you are in a romantic relationship, make sure you are living and focusing on the development of your own life first. The two of you should be encouraging each other in your endeavors. If you feel that the relationship you are in brings you stress, drop it. Don’t stick around in an unhappy relationship. You don't need the added stress. Realize when you deserve better.

Remember the importance of your own happiness. Sometimes we get lost in trying to make other people happy that we forget to take care of our own selves too. You are just as important as everyone you love. Start finding time to take care of your spirit.

Go for a run. Read that book. Eat that burger. Put yourself first. Choose yourself every time. Focus on your health, your future and your well being. Become the best version of yourself you can be. You deserve it to yourself. Your relationships will prosper after you’ve developed a sense of your whole self.

Start that project you’ve always wanted to do.

Drink more water.

Start taking your own advice. We give so much advice to our friends and family throughout the year. We need to start listening to ourselves too.

Choosing yourself may sound a tad bit selfish to some, but the fact of the matter is, it's the only way you can be of service to other people in the long term.

You’re the only thing in this world you have control over. The only way you can help the world be a better place is by being a better person.