My 2021 New Year's Resolution

The waking fever dream that was 2020 is now in the rearview mirror. While I’m keeping tempered expectations heading into the new year, it’s difficult to imagine a year as difficult as last year was given that a new president and a vaccine are on the way. I hope to not regret that sentence. To make the year better instead of just hoping that it is, I’ve decided to do something I usually choose not to: Make a New Year’s resolution.

I’m not going to ruthlessly and relentlessly hold myself to some impossible standard in hopes to accomplish an outlandishly difficult goal in 2021. Instead, my resolution is a simple one: Self-care. This next year is extremely exciting, but also dauntingly overwhelming in some ways. I will soon graduate college and begin “real” adult life, continuing to work full-time and manage expenses on my own. To make that process less stressful and more sustainable, I am going to make an effort to practice different methods of self-care. These include getting enough sleep, taking breaks from work (both professional and school), doing fun things with loved ones, eating well, and not beating myself up for any shortcomings, which is a tendency of mine occasionally. I often treat myself much more harshly and abrasively than I do anyone else, which is something I would like to fix this year. While I know that this “resolution” can’t really be measured empirically, I will feel better viewing the changing of the calendar year as a reset on mental health and practicing good habits.

I’m not usually one to make or stick to New Year’s resolutions, but I feel good about this new approach. Instead of making a hyper-specific goal to accomplish, I’m adjusting my frame of mind to better take on the challenges I face day-to-day. Do you have a New Year’s resolution? If so, what? If not, why not? Thanks for reading.

Reflecting On 2019

As 2019 comes to a close and the new year / decade approaches, it’s time to reflect on what all has happened in the last 365 days. This past year was packed full of ups and downs, personal growth, and fun new experiences. In this post, I’m going to be breaking down what 2019 had to offer, what the year taught me, and why I’m excited for 2020.

This year started with me completing my sophomore year of college. Because I was still acquainting myself with what it takes to be a successful college student, I wasn’t able to live up to the high academic standard I’ve now set for myself, but things still went generally well. My relationship with my beautiful girlfriend continued to thrive as we navigated living life on our own in the big city throughout the winter and spring, and our interest in going to concerts grew as we saw more and more good shows such as James Blake and Travis Scott in Atlanta.

Summer always presents itself as a challenge for me as a college student because there is less of a direct schedule to follow. This summer, I occupied myself by taking various beach vacations with my girlfriend, finding time to relax with family which involved getting into our local trivia night scene, and starting this very blog which I’m happy to still be posting consistently on. The beach and relaxation were nice, but by the time the fall semester started, I knew I was ready to commit myself to my studies more than I ever had before.

Fall / winter 2019 was successful on pretty much all cylinders. My relationship with my family and girlfriend were very healthy, my family found new successes that we had been hoping for for a long time, and school went as well as it ever has for me. I was able to make time to go see movies and concerts, go on dates with my girlfriend, hangout with friends, check out local museums, and generally relax while still living up to the high standards I set for myself. I was able to finish the most recent college semester with a 4.15 GPA. The year then wrapped up with an amazing holiday season including a trip to Chicago, Illinois with my loved ones. We will bring in the new year and decade celebrating my girlfriend’s 21st birthday tomorrow, which we’re very much looking forward to.

2019 taught me a lot. I learned to persevere through difficult times, hold myself to a higher standard than I had thought imaginable, and to maintain a healthy work / life balance that keeps everyone around me feeling fulfilled. In 2020, instead of making resolutions I’ll never live up to, I’m going to try to continue the formula I’ve been following and trying to understand and deal with my anxiety, which is something that will likely be a long-term challenge for me. Luckily, it isn’t stopping me from doing fun things. 2020 will likely present new challenges, and by the end of the year I will be starting as a senior in college, but I know I’ll be ready. I look forward to continuing to share my thoughts and writings on this blog for the next decade, and I wish you the best moving forward. Keep the good ones close.