Everyone has New Year's Resolutions, even if they don't want to admit it. A new year is a time for change and opportunity. It's a time to become a better version of yourself. Here are a couple new year's resolutions that I have written that I believe are reachable goals!

1. Sleep more

I have never had such little amount of sleep than I did in 2016. Between college apps, five hour homework assignments, midterms, and finals, I am going to need another year to just make up for lost sleep. Sleep is so vital and when I do get the proper amount of sleep, I feel more motivated and productive the following day.

2. Have plans on the weekends

Okay yes, I am in college and going out to parties and being social is part of the college experience, however, the last two months of school I was so busy with school projects and essays that I stopped going out on the weekends and hanging out with friends. I have now realized that I need to find a balance between school work and friends. Whether it’s going to Boston for the day or finding a cute place to get lunch in North Andover, just being able to get off campus once or twice a week will be a nice little break from school.

3. Eat Healthier

This is sooooooooo cliché, but I do need to eat healthier. Notice that I said need, not want. As of recently, I have become incredibly gluten intolerant so I cannot eat a lot of the foods that I have been eating my entire life. As the new year approaches, I want to find new and easy recipes to make that I will be able to eat.

4. Write more

I write articles on a weekly basis, but I want to strive to write better, more intellectual, and daring articles. I want to write about topics that have an impact on others, including myself.

5. Volunteer

When I was in high school I volunteered four hours a week in the library, and I did additional volunteering activities. I miss volunteering for my community because it felt that I was making a difference, even if it was restocking books or picking out the weeds in the school garden. I hope to find new volunteering activities at my school or at least in the nearby area.

6. Engage in more Honors Program activities

I am in the Honors Program at Merrimack, and they often have activities and programs for students. I only went to a few this semester, so I hope to attend more in the future.

7. Be a better me

Near the end of the year, I lost a sense of who I was as a person. I stopped having motivation for school and my life in general. My academics and other personal issues wore me down to the bone, and I am finally recovering from the great deal of stress I was in. I have vowed to focus more on my mental and physical health and focus on what really matters: my happiness.