I've never been one to follow New Year's resolutions. I make them very specific — I usually end up creating too many, and in the end it's difficult for me to stick to them. Overall, they just don't work for me.

For this year, I've decided to try something new. Instead of making resolutions, I've selected a word that I want to act as my focus for the year. My mom told me about this idea after she watched a video about it on YouTube. I liked the idea, and decided to go with it and give it a try.

My word of the year is 'productive.' I find that I waste a lot of my spare time engaging in activities that aren't productive, such as watching silly videos on YouTube for hours, napping after class, binge watching a show on Netflix, or messing with apps on my phone — and I want to change that. I want to spend my time being more productive, whether it be reading, writing and developing my craft, researching about grad school, or applying for scholarships.

Of course I still need down time to relax and work on self-care — everyone needs that. But I want it to be productive self-care, such as meditating, organizing a drawer in my desk, or writing notes in my calendar journal.

My mom chose the word 'positive.' She wants to focus on having a positive outlook on life. She wants to take in and accept the joyful aspects, rather than focusing on the negative ones, even when she gets stuck in a rut.

If you're like me and New Year's resolutions aren't quite your jam, try finding a word that resonates with you on how you want to focus on self-improvement this year.

There are plenty of words to select from. A couple other ones that come to mind include 'focus' and 'appreciate.' See? There's a word for everyone.