We're about to cross the finish line of 2020, and I think I speak for many when I say that I am ready for a fresh start.The end of one year and the beginning of another always brings about a stream of content on social media: people boasting their accomplishments of the past year and painting a picture of their ideal self in the coming year. That's great and all, and it's certainly fun to see all your friends' perspectives on their past year of life, but I always found the new year to be about YOU.
We'll all be bombarded with photo collages of 2020 in the coming days, paired with promises to the social media world to make 2021 even better. It doesn't matter what your cousin did, or the trip to Europe your Grandma made for next year, or what your best friend accomplished in 2020. The new year is about YOU.
Thus, now is the time to look back on what your 2020 was made of. Did you reach your goals? Did you make any goals? Did you commit yourself to something you're proud of? Did you pay too much attention to something you're not proud of? Who do you want to be by the end of 2021? What's going to make 2021 a year of personal growth for YOU?
It's easy to throw out there, "I want to workout more", or "I want to eat better", and those are both great goals! However, if there's one thing I've learned in grad school thus far, it's that when setting goals, you want to make them as specific as possible. Choose goals you believe you can attain, but don't be afraid to push yourself. If you typically ate 1-2 servings of vegetables a day in 2020, an example goal for 2021 could be to eat 2-3 servings of vegetables a day in 2021. If you ran a half marathon in 2020, you could aim to run a full one in 2021, or simply try to run another half marathon, but at a faster pace. Your goals should be catered to YOU.
And while it's important to focus on your physical and mental health when setting New Year's Resolutions, it's also important to look outside these realms, for wellness encompasses so many different aspects of your life. Choose to place an emphasis on your relationships. Be a better sister, girlfriend, best friend, or daughter. Maybe you want to build your faith, and your New Year's Resolution could be to stick to a prayer schedule or to attend mass weekly. The possibilities are endless, and you are limitless. Make this the year of YOU.
New Year's Resolutions are all about what you can control in a world where we hold so little control. I think that became quite clear to all when the pandemic rolled around, and our worlds were turned upside down. I'm not saying that the world will magically turn right side up again in 2021, but we can hope, and we can continue to do the best we can. Do your best, and forget the rest. Believe in a brighter year in 2021, but above all, believe in YOU.
