As I was making my list of New Years resolutions, I started to realize a pattern. A majority of the things that I wanted to work on were things that I let slip during the previous year.
I also realized that while some pretty rough things happened last year, things can change in 2019.
Stop being disrespectful
With our current political climate it can hard to communicate with someone with opposite views. Some people feel so strongly about their views that they refuse to open up to new ones. A possible reason as to why this is, is because of the loss of respect the parties have for each other.
It is not hard to have an open-minded conversation with someone as opposite views as you and a lot of people don't realize this.
Stop being petty
Nowadays it is SO easy to tweet or post something hateful about someone or something. Sometimes when I'm on social media all I want to see is my friends, not some hate post about a political leader.
Being petty on social media or in person gets you nowhere. Before you post, like or share something make sure it is productive to whoever is seeing it. If you really want to get something off your chest-write it in the notes section in your phone.
Stop focusing on social media
It can be so easy to compare ourselves to people that we follow on social media. Instagram's algorithm can make famous people with perfect aesthetics and perfect kids seem like they have it all. When really, they're humans just like us and only showing the best part of their lives.
Put down your phone. Stop worrying about the likes and the comments and live in the moment.
Stop saying yes to things you don’t want to do
Ron Swanson said it best when he said: "Never half-ass two things. Whole-ass one thing."
Even as a full-time college student, it can be hard to say no to some extra volunteer hours, an important event or anything in general. College isn't all about academics but it is a large portion of it. Overcrowding your schedule can cause you to focus on the wrong things, which can cause burn-out.
It's so important to think of yourself and your mental state first before you add another event to your schedule.
Stop being uninformed
GiphyThis is so true with our society and current politcal climate.
There is such a thing as being media literate. While a tweet is so easy to create and may seem right in the moment, it'll always be there. Even after its deleted, people are still going to remember it.
Before you post something on social media make sure you know what you're talking about. Don't state your opinion and not expect to back it up with facts.
man running in forestPhoto by 
