New Year's Resolutions Are SO Last Year -- Try This Instead

It's 2018, wow! That came fast. Every year seems to go by even faster than the previous, and I think that's because every year I grow older I'm a little bit busier with life. And that's a good thing! So you know why we're here, I'm giving you a list! And of course, it's about resolutions, c'mon it's New Years! But this isn't just any resolutions list -- resolutions are old news. Instead, I'm here to tell you a little more about what your resolutions should resemble as themes. The idea of using themes revolves around having goals much deeper than resolutions; they resemble life philosophies, which are much more impactful. You can use these guidelines to set personal resolutions that are applicable to you only. Scrap the "work out more", the "spend less money", and anything else you'll give up by mid-January. Take each theme on this list and tailor it to a specific goal you're set out to achieve in 2018!

1) It's never too late to change directions

I think we all get a little too nervous about our futures. We choose our degrees and then some of us get too nervous to admit when it's time to think about something else. So this year, I encourage you to remember that it is never too late to change your direction. Whether that's your major, your activities, or even your lifestyle choices, it's never too late. My personal resolution for this is to keep an open mind about my majors. I get really set on what I decide my future is going to look like and I get very defensive about the possibility that it might look differently than I picture! So for me, I will stay on track to study marketing and business analytics. But as I will be declaring by fall, I will be honest with myself if I decide that I want to look elsewhere. By doing this, I'm keeping myself accountable for staying flexible. I'm pretty stubborn about a lot of things, but I shouldn't let that keep me stuck on a track I don't want to be on.

2) Don't be afraid to experiment and fail

Sometimes it's scary to try new things. For those of us who are so sure of ourselves that we never push the limits, it's time to break down your own barriers. Not everything works out perfectly in our favor, and even though that's hard to accept, no failure leaves us completely defeated. There's always room to rise above it and learn from the experience. As for me, I’m going to play around more with my blog. Try new layouts, try new topics, dig a little deeper into my writing, and do it all without the fear of not being heard. I write this blog regardless of how many people are truly reading it, and to me, it’s more about expressing myself than being paid attention to. With that being said, I’m going to write more from my heart and write more from my thoughts. This new site has been challenging because of the different styles and functions, but with patience, I know I can get the hang of it. If I decide it's not working, it's not the end of the world! I'll just try something new and begin again.

3) Don't work against obstacles, try to work with them

Every year brings us new challenges. It seems as though the older we get, the more difficult situations we face. Nobody said growing up is easy! And not everything is meant to be a straight path. When we encounter obstacles, our first reaction is to get around them. Unfortunately, sometimes there is no way around them. The reality of many challenges is that the answer lies within what creates difficulty for us. For me, I'm anticipating some major overbooking in 2018! With so many commitments and activities coming up, I'm sure there will be days I want to pull my hair out looking at my calendar. But luckily, commitment to so many great things in my life will provide me with opportunities to create more in the future. So for the time being, I will work on being patient with a busy schedule. Because alternatively, I could pull my attention from various aspects of my schedule, but that will not do me any favors in the future. Sometimes what challenges us in the moment can turn out to be the next step in our success.

4) Eliminate the negative and do not make excuses

This may be one of the most overlooked sources of unhappiness in our lives. Most of us have this in our lives -- something that generally brings us down. Something (or someone) who feeds off of negative energy: rumors, lies, drama, other peoples' failures. For those of you who are picturing it in your head right now, make 2018 the year you get away from that. It can be so difficult to eliminate the bad in our lives, because most of the time, the form it takes is not easy to just ignore or step away from. This can be your coworker, your group mate, even someone you live with. The good news is that while we can't always get away from these things, we can monitor the way we let their presence affect us internally and emotionally. We will always have to deal with things that have the ability to bring us down, but that's just it: they may have the ability, but we don't necessarily have to allow it. How you choose to deal with negativity extends not only to you, but others who are affected. This year, choose to be the one to resist it. Personally, I feel that the general negativity surrounding the difficulty of college is a shame. I think we feed off of each other's complaints and stresses and it overall creates a very pessimistic atmosphere, so one of my goals is to change my outlook and maybe try to change the outlook of others around me. Sometimes choosing to be the spark in the room can change others' thoughts for the better.

5) Use failure as an opportunity to grow

Sometimes, things don't go as planned, and sometimes, we ultimately fail. Is failure the end-all be-all? Absolutely not! But for those of us who have trouble with failure, it can be difficult to see it as constructive. Making mistakes teaches us lessons, and they make us all the wiser. This year, when you inevitably encounter some sort of failure, reflect on it. What led to this failure, and what, if anything, could have prevented it? In order to understand the situation, ask yourself what you have taken away from the experience. Most importantly, ask yourself, "Where do I go from here?" Failure doesn't mean we sit on the ground and wallow in our unfortunate outcomes. It means we take the experience with grace and we stand back up for more. Personally, I do have trouble dealing with failure. Whether it's an exam that goes worse than expected, a leadership opportunity that fizzled out, or even just a bad day, it seems to have a hold on my mind and I have difficulty letting it go. In 2018, I plan on using reflective techniques to not only recognize failure, but to allow myself to let it go after the fact.

I hope that these themes are useful to you in determining your goals in 2018. Like I said, these guidelines are applicable for anyone and everyone, and even if your goals are opposite of mine, let them guide you to finding your greater purposes in the upcoming year. Wishing you all the best in 2018!

xo Kate