Well, it is time for a new year and with that comes people who plan on compiling lists of certain goals or resolutions that they hope to accomplish in the next 365 days. This could include wanting to workout more, eating healthier, saving up money, being charitable, and becoming more responsible. Now, while there are people who come up with resolutions for the upcoming new year and end up not taking on or achieving those goals, there are still many people who do strive on aiming to accomplish their New Year's resolutions, and that hopefully will include me. With this list I am not guaranteeing that I will take on all of these resolutions of mine, but I am planning on trying to achieve at least a few of these goals. So without further ado, here are my New Year's resolutions for 2017. Hope you enjoy and I wish you all a Happy New Year's Eve and New Year's Day!

1. Getting More Sleep

Considering that the earliest I went to bed this past semester at school was most likely around midnight, I will definitely make a stronger effort to get a good amount of sleep this coming spring semester. It will be better for both myself and my roommate as well! However, I can't guarantee this will automatically happen for me in 2017 since I happen to be a "night owl" type of person anyway, but we'll see.

2. Learning To Appreciate Myself More

While I felt that I had a successful year in 2016, I did face a lot of stress, pressure, and frustration to both finding and achieving this success. As a result, I ended up pushing myself too much to do great in everything I did this past year and having a goal to not fail, whether it was in academics, music, or other life decisions. While I strive to continue being the most successful person that I can be, I need to also realize that I'm still only human and I can't be great at everything I do. For the upcoming new year, a few of my goals are to love and admire who I truly am, appreciate the gifts and talents I possess, and learn to accept the situations I go through, whether they end in achievement or failure. I need to love me in 2017!

3. Meeting New People And Acting Less Shy

In the year's past, I have always been appreciative of my friends and family accepting the shy, quiet, and sometimes nervous person I am. I think the reason I have had this type of personality throughout my life is due to my mother having the same type of personality, and I tend to have the feeling that I don't make good first impressions on people, and I still don't understand why. However, I am hoping to try and change this in 2017. While it has always been difficult for me to talk to new people, my goal this coming new year is to meet new people in any ways I can, especially at Walsh. At least the great thing about me is that once I meet and get to know a person, I eventually break out of my shy shell and feel more comfortable about myself around other people. But since new people usually come up to me first and introduce themselves, I hope to achieve the method of me going up to a new person first and introducing myself instead, even though it might be an absolute nightmare once I start, but hey that's how every new thing you do works. So once my spring semester starts and I go into my new classes, I might choose to sit next to a person I don't know and introduce myself to them. And while it could end up being a hit or miss, at least I can say that I am trying to meet new people and make new friends.

4. Less Procrastinating

Now, while I have never been a huge procrastinator and wait until the last minute to finish any work I have to do, I still have moments of laying my assignments to the side for a bit to binge watch shows on Netflix or play video games with my roommate on his Xbox One. However, I will try as hard as I can for this coming new year to adopt a "work first, entertaining hobbies last" type attitude, even though it will not be easy at first. After all, everyone has to procrastinate at some points in their lives. Hopefully before I know it, I will go from a procrastinator to a work-hardinator, and yes I know that isn't a word but you get my point.

5. Continuing To Be a Better Person and Friend

This is by far the most important resolution that I hope to strengthen in 2017, and continue to strengthen in the years to come as well. As humans, I have always believed that we all have a goal of striving to be better people each and every day, even though it might involve going through many obstacles and challenges. However, based on my upbringing and the way I was raised, I have always had a goal of being the best person I can be to my family members, friends, and people in general. Therefore, It is without a doubt that I love all my friends and family for letting me be a part of their lives in someway and I would hope that they feel the same way about me. In fact, my friends and family are the people who have helped guide and encourage me to become the person I am, and for that my constant goal of becoming the greatest person I can be is a way for me to show my appreciation to them. As the late legendary playwright, poet and actor William Shakespeare once said, "A friend is one that knows you as you are, understands where you have been, accepts what you have become, and still, gently allows you to grow."