New Year's Resolutions?
As a full time student for the last four years, my New Years resolutions have often been related to finances and academic achievement, or both. My goals this year are too; I want to get into great graduate schools and take control of my financial future (especially at this point of transition coming up - graduation!). However, this year I am also making a resolution to be more involved in my community and to be more intentional. This year did empower me to lean in to my activism and social involvement as well as allow me a job at my University's Office of Inclusive Excellence. I've found it extremely rewarding to pursue making a local impact. This year did regrettably result in some monotonous days, scrolling and studying and spending hours on the computer, then feeling so tired and unmotivated after. I hope this year to be more intentional about doing things I enjoy! Doing art, spending time outdoors, reading, and spending quality time with the loved ones in my bubble, rather than just time together watching TV - though that was fun.
Well, why should you care about my New Year's resolutions? I hope that you make some goals for yourself too, for your academic and financial goals as a student, someone experiencing transitions between semesters or even graduating. But I also hope you make room in your resolutions for other things, and don't put all your eggs in one basket. Not just with global crises, but personal changes and life can get in the way sometimes, and it's important to set goals but not to wrap up your self-worth in the outcomes. I've done that for a long time and am in the process of healing, after focusing my whole identity on academic excellence. Additionally, it's the room outside of what you think you should be doing and in what you want to be doing where you'll be networking and preparing for future careers without knowing it. This summer, I spoke up to my college community about my concerns about racial injustice, and I was offered a job where I could actually do something about it, however small. When you allow yourself to pursue your passions, you (surprise) might find them!
What is your New Year's Resolution? For school? For work? For your financial, mental, or physical wellbeing? What are your personal goals, that will make you more happy? And - very importantly - what will you do first to begin that journey of achieving them?
