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New Years Resolutions, we all make them, but do we really all keep them? It’s day 9 of 2018, and to be completely honest, I’ve started on about 1/5 of my new years resolutions. I just keep finding (usually stupid) reasons to put them off. But I will start them, and like most well intentioned resolutions, it is in my best interest to keep them.

How did I make my 5 elusive resolutions?

This year, at a suggestion from my mother, I picked 5 not too general new years resolutions. (Probably a good idea because as a soon-to-be college grad my #1 goal for 2018 is to get a job). I needed resolutions I could see progress on, that weren’t too general, and that were goals I could “regularly check off”.

I’ve learned (after a lot of trial and error) that too keep organized and goal oriented, I need to write it all down. I’m a list/notes kind of gal. And truly, they need to be on a tangible piece of paper, not just my phone or computer. I feel good when I can pull out a pen and cross off a task after I’ve completed it. Full disclosure, I’ve even gone so far as to list things I’d do anyway – like wake up, take a shower, get dressed – just so I could feel the accomplishment of having something on my list completed.

You may be laughing at me, or rolling your eyes, but it works for me. So I’m ok with it.

So, as mentioned, my resolutions are pretty specific this year, but they’re definitely not unchangeable. I did this on purpose. I have no doubt that this year, 2018, is a big year of change for me. Graduation, the ever brutal job search in a highly competitive, rarely hiring field, potential moves, etc. My resolutions definitely need to be sturdy, but they must be adaptable, just like I need to be.

Without further ado, here are my five 2018 New Years Resolutions:

#1: Try a counseling session

It’s a personal goal, but one I think is important, and important to share considering the stigma often involved. I’m an overall healthy gal, but even the healthiest of people could benefit from having someone to talk to, someone be completely honest with. I’ve been known to be a little tough on myself from time to time. 2018 is a year when I need to at least *try* to give myself a bit of a break.

#2: Cook 2-3 meals over the weekend

This one is inspired by my current food plan. I am fortunate enough to be part of a sorority that offers regular meals on weekdays. Therefore, I don’t have to cook, I just have to get my lazy butt to the house. But on weekends I am responsible for my own meals. A combination of fatigue and lethargy often inspire me to eat out, and generally eat some form of fast food. This resolution is hopefully going to be good for my health, as well as my bank account.

#3: Make a list – long or short – about positive things that happened in the day

This goal is also aimed at improving my mental health. I figure if I can force myself to recall and record at least a few positive things a day, I can see the good in even the crummiest of situations.

#4: Blog more

I sincerely do enjoy writing, especially informally. My blog, though often neglected, has become a forum for me to voice my own thoughts, opinions, and ideas, while developing my voice. My blog has been an important means to finding words I often struggle for in conversation. Here I can write, delete, and rewrite until I have confidence in what I want to say. And maybe it will even appeal to some people! Plus, who knows, maybe I could actually develop some marketable skills through this one day.

#5 Support others in whatever ways I can, and allow others to support me

I have become a relatively independent person. Someone who often believes that I shouldn’t expect, or rely on support from anyone else. And while there’s absolutely nothing wrong with being independent, it is still important to allow oneself a network of support. And the best way to receive support is by giving it. Your help could mean so much more to someone than you could ever know. I know it does to me.

There are plenty of ways to make and sustain New Years resolutions. If someone asked my advice, I would say to make resolutions with your own specific well-being in mind. Not your well-being according to “beauty standards” or new health fads. Everyone is different, and needs their own personalized path. I would suggest setting goals you really want to achieve, based on the whatever journey you want to take. It certainly doesn’t hurt to have a more specific, self-tailored goal in mind. Just remember that hard work goes a long way, and never ever give up on yourself. You’re worth it.

Avatar Maia Charanis

Author: Maia Charanis

A verbose, often dramatic, amateur performer, Maia loves commas. She also loves rewatching films on Netflix, fuzzy socks and a warm drink. Maia has an unhealthy addiction to diet coke and definitely scrolls through social media too much. She passionately supports the arts, and considers herself an artist in the making. She currently attends school in South Carolina, where she is pursuing a B.A. degree in Dance Performance and Choreography. One day she hopes to grace stages nationally and internationally, fighting the forces of monotony that threaten the sanity of the average human being. She really appreciates you being here, and hopes you enjoy the ramblings of her unfiltered and often sarcastic mind.

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