I’m going to be a better person.
Not long ago you took a good, hard look at yourself, made note of all the imperfections riddling your personality and pledged to change every single one of them. You promptly wrote this life-changing decision down in your leather-bound journal and posted an inspirational photo on Instagram. It’s now Jan. 22, and you’re lying on the cold floor of your dorm room in the fetal position realizing how absolutely ridiculous it was to think that a complete personality overhaul would be so easy. It’s unattainable — it’s unhealthy. Making a vague commitment is worse than making no commitment at all. So start small — the term “baby steps” doesn’t just apply to infants. Be kind to yourself and set small, reachable goals. Use the cashier’s name. Walk to class without looking at your phone. Pay for someone’s chicken biscuit. It doesn’t have to be earth-shattering, just a small step up from what you did last year.
I’m going to cut back on things.
“Stop spending so much time watching Netflix.” “Don’t get on social media.” “Avoid complaining.” These aren’t bad aspirations, but negative language feels limiting rather than liberating. Focusing on what you can’t do is depressing. Change your mindset and focus instead on what the changes will allow you to do. Be honest with yourself. Do you feel alive, refreshed and positive after spending five hours watching Netflix? Does scrolling through social media bring you peace and a sense of accomplishment? Probably not. Let’s take a trip back to when you were a 12-year-old. What did you do to pass the time? Did you read? Climb trees? Draw? Sing? Write? Swing? Make bracelets? Shoot basketball? As you begin to remove negative elements from your life, remember that it frees up time to do the things you love (and have maybe forgotten about). “Start reading.” “Get on a swing.” “Embrace encouragement.” You have a lot to look forward to.
I’m going to travel the world and see new places.
Again, this isn’t a terrible idea. It’s easy to become disenchanted with a town you spend a large amount of time in – you drive the same roads, eat at the same restaurants and see the same people. And while traveling to foreign lands has been known to bring positive, life-changing experiences, sometimes it just isn’t practical. We are students. We have homework and loans and responsibilities. But the same town we’ve grown tired of is full of roads we’ve never driven on, small cafes we’ve never visited and people we’ve never met. Instead of dreaming to see new places, try to see old places with new eyes. Live each day, each drive to Tropical Smoothie, as if you were a tourist. Notice the smells, stores, people, parks and events as if you were noticing them for the first time. If you are living with a sense of adventure, you won’t have to go very far to find it.
