Hello loves! If you’re a new follower of our blog: welcome! To those of you who have been with us for a while: it’s nice to see you again. We are continuing our series of Bossy Editor Blogs every Tuesday and I’m really excited for all the amazingly cool things that we’ll be able to share with you.
To put it bluntly, spring semester hit me like a truck. A few days before I came back to campus, I was so pumped for all the things that I would do this semester, the new people I would meet, the new places I would venture to, the new habits I would create, the new things I would learn, etc. Don’t get me wrong! I am still looking for to an amazing semester, but I’ve definitely had a bit of a rough start.
I used to be the person who would spend the last week of December crafting a whole plan of how to recreate themselves for the new year (New Year, New Me anyone?). Yet, for some reason, this year I wasn’t really into the idea of making any “resolutions.” This doesn’t mean that I don’t have any goals. What it means is that I won’t be setting myself up for disappointment when I can’t achieve all of the things that I resolve to do. When I find that it is near impossible for me to find time to read one pleasure book per week because I’m a full-time student or to wake up at 6 a.m. every single day for spin class, I’m ultimately going to feel like I’m a failure.
Dreaming big is my favorite pastime. I think that big dreams make me who I am. I’m proud of the fact that I always shoot for the stars, even if I know that I can barely reach the top of the trees. Sometimes I fall into the trap of allowing my big dreams to take over my life in such a way that if these dreams somehow fall through the cracks, I end up beating myself up and putting myself in a place where I then become unmotivated, uninspired, and totally the opposite of who I know I am.
Now, if you love resolutions and they work for you, then by all means, keep on doing what you’re doing. However, if you find that the third week of January you hit a point where you feel like you’ve lost all motivation, it might be time to get rid of the idea of “resolutions.”
I’m not saying that we shouldn’t have things that we want to achieve throughout the year. I think that it’s important to take time to think about what goals and dreams you have, and how the actions you take in 2018 can bring you closer (or further) from those aspirations. But I want to challenge you to shift your mindset towards one that doesn’t make your 2018 a hit or miss in terms of success. You can have big dreams and still take things one day at a time. If one day you didn’t do something that could have brought you closer to achieving your dream, it’s okay! Use the next day as a fresh start. Cultivate an attitude of forgiveness for yourself. Be kinder to yourself and you'll be more likely to reach your goals.