Happy New Year!

The new year is a time of reflection and growth. It’s a time to look back on all we have learned in the previous year and look toward what is to come in the new year. Here are some of the lessons I learned in 2015 and some goals I hope to achieve in 2016.

Lessons learned in 2015:

1. Change is good

This year I experienced some of the biggest changes I have in my lifetime. The changes were significant enough to alter the course of my year and many years to come. Although there were times I struggled to find the positive in these changes, I know now that they were for the better. Change can be hard. I think most everyone can agree with that. I think the importance of change lies in the way you handle it. If you are resistant to it, you will just make it a harder experience for yourself. When you embrace change, something positive almost always comes of it. I think the changes I experienced in 2015 will ultimately put me on the path I need, and want, to be on. People undergo change everyday. Without change, growth is impossible. I learned that you must embrace change to feel its positive effects. You will eventually find the path you are meant to be on, and although change may feel like an obstacle to overcome, you could discover something even better than you had planned in the first place.

2. Just do it

Nike has made this phrase famous but that doesn’t make it any less true. If you truly want something in life, you need to fight for it. Action holds so much more power than words ever will. There were moments in 2015 in which I found myself thinking of the things I wanted to accomplish in life. But that’s all I was doing; thinking. You can think about things all you want but unless you put those thoughts into action, nothing will ever come of it.

3. Be patient

Patience is a virtue (or something like that). You hear about the importance of patience all the time and it’s still something I think everyone struggles with. Good things take time. That’s something I had to remind myself constantly this past year. I am somebody who wants to see immediate results (who doesn’t), so allowing myself time to grow and accomplish my goals has been one of the most important lessons I learned in 2015. I am constantly comparing my progress to the successes of others (something I hope to stop in the next year). Seeing some of the people I look up to become successful at such a young age has made me put a time limit on my own success. Realizing that every individual has their own journey and that time must be allowed to accomplish anything worthwhile in life is an extremely important lesson that I hope to continue learning for many years to come.

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Although I am not a huge believer in resolutions (if you want to make a change in your life, why wait for the new year), here are a few goals I hope to accomplish in 2016.

Goals for 2016:

1. Post more consistently

As I continue to grow my blog, I am realizing the importance of posting more consistently. I want to dedicate more of my time to blogging and see this website grow into what I intend for it to be. I do not want to put a number on its growth and success, but seeing the blog continue to evolve is one of my main goals for the new year. I want to stop making excuses for myself and start putting more time into the blog. Although I know school will sometimes get in the way, I think posting at least once a week is an attainable goal for the new year.

2. Stop comparing

Making comparisons has unfortunately become a very natural tendency for almost everyone. I have always struggled with comparing myself to others and I think this tendency is only magnified by my competitive nature. I don’t think completely stopping all comparison is a realistic goal, however, I would like to greatly diminish the amount I compare myself to others in the new year. I want to stop trying to do what others are already doing and find my own voice. The one thing that separates you from those you compare yourself to is that you are YOU (cheesy I know). Your experiences and your unique voice are things that only you have, so instead of comparing yourself to others, develop your own strengths so you can be the best you possible. People will be attracted to you and your work because of who YOU are, not who you are trying to imitate.

3. Drink more water

Kind of a cop out, but I really do need to drink more water.

Here are some of my favorite moments from 2015. I am so excited for what is to come in 2016 and I wish everyone the happiest of new years!