Each year when we were in school, our homeroom teacher would make us write resolutions about things we wanted to happen for the New Year. As a little, I loved it. Yet, the older that I got, the more I realized that I wasn’t writing down achievable and smart goals. When I got out of high school and went on to college, none of my professors actually had us do a New Years Resolution so the last two years I’ve barely had anything for resolutions.

This year as a reasonable 21-year-old adult, I started my resolutions early! I’ve realized that the more that we grow, the more that we need to hold ourselves accountable. For example, I love doing yoga and hot yoga. My goal this upcoming semester is to wake up early to run and do yoga and then go to hot yoga one day a week.

In order to achieve these, I am planning them into my planner. They aren’t resolutions but commitments to myself to make my life better, easier, and stronger. I am making the focus of 2017 about myself. These challenges that I am making will not only make me happier but will change the way that I look at myself and how I view my 2017.

Obviously some of the more popular resolutions are going to be very similar to other people but I want to challenge you. Make a different set of resolutions than what you have in the years past. I want you to look at your 2016-year and then change it up. Look at a different angle and take a different perspective. Look at the world with a different light. Perspective is everything. How you think, look, feel, and act really can change your mindset. For example, if you are wearing sweat pants on day 1 and a suit on day 2, which are you more likely to feel happier in? Which will you feel more “on top of the world in”? I can tell you that answer or you can do it for yourself. 2017 I want you to own your resolutions and you can do that.

Now, the goal isn’t to share with you what my personal goals are, I just want to spark an idea in you. Share with your friends and learn to hold yourself accountable because that’s one of mine. The more that we put ourselves first, the more successful we shall be. “The grass isn’t always greener on the other side, its green where you water it.” So if you don’t water your own grass how will you be able to get anywhere? Find your hobbies, fall in love with them, offer more to others and see what will come your way with your kindness.

2017 is the year of growth and opportunity.