New Years Resolutions

Every year people take time to take stock of the various of various aspects of their lives. They think about all their shortcomings, all the things that they'd like to change about themselves and make plans to take action towards achieving those changes. Every year around new years I tend to avoid make resolutions because I feel that there doesn't have to be a specific time that dictates when we should strive to better ourselves. Another reason why I haven't made resolutions around this time is that I feel that it puts too much pressure and stress on myself that will lead to the eventual failure to achieve those goals. This year, however, I'm going to do something different and try to push myself to make some changes. There are a lot of things that I'd like to change about myself. Many generalized things that I wish I would do differently, which is why instead of focusing on those general aspects, I'll focus on more specific goals. The biggest of these goals that I want to achieve, is finding a full time career in the fields that I received my degree in. This past year I graduated college and although I've had a few good leads, nothing substantial has come of them so far. I realize that setting goals alone isn't enough, which is why I'll be making concrete plans in order to achieve my goals. I feel like we all know what needs to be done in order to achieve our goals but we get in our own way. We become complacent with where we are and that complacency impedes us from making real change. This past year, I've become complacent. I've got employment and I'm making enough money to pay my bills and get by, but I'm merely treading water. I'm becoming stagnant instead of prospering and that's one of the biggest things that I want to change. One of the biggest steps in order to change that is to cut out a large portion of my leisure time. I work extensive hours five days a week, and in those other two I tend to simply spend my time relaxing. I convinced myself that after working hard, I deserve time off. Even though that is true, those two days could go a long way if I so chose to spend them differently. In the new year, I will be using my weekends to actively search out a career in my field and make other steps to better myself. Another big thing that I'd like to change is that I'd like to take better care of myself physically. I'd like to change my diet, my exercise habits, and my sleep habits. Namely, I want to spend more time exercising at home. Recently I have been convincing myself that I need to go to the gym in order to get exercise but deep down I know that's not the case. One thing I realized when I worked out more often over the past summer is that it helped me sleep better. Tiring myself out from exercise in and of itself helps me to complete the other goal of getting more sleep. I realize that it's very possible that I'll fail in these endeavors but making an honest effort is better than the complacency that I've been in recently. If you want to make real change in your life, you are the only real obstacle standing in your way. It's all about keeping yourself driven, motivating yourself continuously to achieve the goals you are seeking out. Even if I don't accomplish everything I'm setting out for, making the effort in and of itself is a welcome change. No matter what you are trying to change about yourself, just keep reminding yourself the benefits of making such changes. That's really the most important source of motivation you will need. Another thing is that you shouldn't be changing for the sake of anyone but yourself. This is one instance where being selfish is not only acceptable, but necessary. Well, I've set my goals, and I wish anyone reading this the best of luck with their own goals. Let's see if we can't make 2018 one for the books. I hope that come next year I can look back on this entry and feel proud of where I've made it to in the course of the year. Happy new year everyone.