January is one of my favorite times of the year. It is not common to hear someone say they love the month of January — it is usually cold and follows right after one of the happiest times of the year — Christmas. But because of this, I have made it a goal of mine to become a person who loves the concept of the “new year.”
The idea of a new year is so refreshing. I love that I have 365 days to become a newer and better version of myself. I have 365 days to create a life that I love.
By the end of December, it is so easy to become tired and overwhelmed with planning the holidays, finishing finals and spending time with loved ones. I always look forward to the end of the holiday break because I get to spend time reflecting on the past year and planning for the new one.
When writing down my goals for this year, I focused on taking things slow and not rushing myself to achieve this picture of “perfection” or “success” overnight. Often why so many people give up on their New Year’s resolutions is because being patient and consistent is hard. I am guilty of having these grand goals that I want to achieve, but I give up quickly because they are not attainable with a realistic timeline.
As I grew over the past year, I developed the thought process that New Year’s resolutions can be kind of silly anyway. This concept makes it seem like we should only create goals once a year and if we don’t achieve them, then that is the end. In reality, I have found that goals are something that need to be adjusted and reflected upon frequently.
This thought process has helped me give myself grace and feel more joy in my life as I work towards my goals but understand that I am not perfect, but rather human.
Some of my goals this year are being both mentally and physically fit by taking time to invest in self-care activities such as meditation, exercise, journaling and eating whole foods … and a few cookies because they are my favorite treat.
The older I get and the more I focus on my goals for the new year, I realize how important it is to take care of myself. To an extent, I realize I do have control over my happiness and health, so in 2022 I plan to take charge.
It is only mid-January, but I am feeling optimistic about 2022. I am grateful for new beginnings and what is to come in the new year.
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Contact Brielle Yauney via Twitter (@brielle_yauney) or by email: brielle.wood@pepperdine.edu
