New Year, New Me

I’m a big believer in personal growth. I think it’s a natural part of life, and something we often do without even realizing it. But sometimes, change has to be a conscious effort. Making that decision is the first step to being the person you want to be. We always think that if we can make certain changes, then we can be happy. 2017 is just around the corner, and it will come with a plethora of classic New Year’s resolutions that are meant to be a stepping stone in our ultimate happiness.

But here's the thing: I don't believe that happiness is a destination. Life doesn't have a destination, mostly because it just isn't linear. Life has good points and bad points— it fluctuates. So, personal goals and resolutions shouldn't be about the end game because there is no end game. But if you really need one, then your end game should be about making the fluctuations of life less extreme, and steeling yourself for whatever happens.

Happiness comes in pockets. It's laying down in bed at night knowing you have nothing you have to do tomorrow. It's a killer joke you tell your friends. It's a little kid drawing a picture just for you. And you can orchestrate your life to have more of these happy moments. Spend more time with you friends or family. Make sure you leave room for lazy days in your schedule. If you try and make sure that you love what you're doing, then the destination doesn't seem as important.

People tend to think that if you get that promotion, you'll be happy. Or if that person asks you out, then you'll be happy. But that's the same destination thinking I was just talking about. Don't get me wrong, it's great to have goals to work towards. But you can't invest your happiness in it. It's too much of a gamble. Keep working, but adjust your attitude so you can be content where you are too.

If you think like this, then I believe your goals also become a lot more attainable. It just promotes all around more positive thinking, because it takes the pressure off. For the more systematic learners, it's thinking 40% about the future, 60% about the present. Thinking about what you can do now rather than later. Later is a relative term. Later is always going to be later, no matter how far down the line you go. Thinking now and being optimistic about it is ultimately better than any destination you can create for yourself.

So in 2017, my resolution is to be more positive. After that, I think the rest can more or less fall into place.