Happy New Year! | Realistic Resolutions for 2020

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year y’all! I can’t believe 2019 is already over, but there are so many things I’m looking forward to in 2020, so I couldn’t be more excited! I have a few more weeks at home in Houston before I head back to Notre Dame for the second semester of my sophomore year, so I figured now would be the perfect time to draw up a list of a few resolutions for the new year.

If I’m being honest, I seldom make it more than a month before I end up throwing my resolutions to the wayside, so this year I want to be a lot more realistic with my goals (i.e. running 5 miles everyday is absolutely not making it back on the list this year!).

I hope this list gives y’all the motivation you need to start the year off strong, and I’m wishing each and every one of you the very best this holiday season!

I spent this morning filling out Jennie Allen’s Dream Guide (it’s free!), and I absolutely loved it! The prompts and questions really helped me to narrow down what’s important to me, as well as evaluate areas of my life that I’ve been lacking in over this past year. I highly recommend downloading the guide and filling it out yourself! It’ll be great to look back at over the course of the year, and you can always go back and add or subtract goals that you’ve set for yourself. Growth is a dynamic process, and it’s so important to be flexible and not beat yourself up over the little things — what matters is that you’re constantly putting effort towards becoming a better version of yourself! So, without further ado, here are my goals and resolutions for 2020:

This Year’s Goals:

• Take more photos of myself and the people I love!
  • There are so many years of my life (especially during middle and high school) that I just don’t have very good memories of. I hardly ever took pictures of myself or the things I did, and I really regret not being able to look back on all of the fun times I had and friends I made! So, this year, especially since I’m in college, I want to take a lot more photos of myself and other people I love – whether I’m out doing something fun, or just hanging out around the dorm!
• Spend more time in the Word!
  • I got into a really great habit of reading Scripture everyday during my freshman year of college, but this semester, I just haven’t spent as much time in the Word as I would have liked. I can definitely tell the difference in myself and my ability to cope with stress and anxiety when I’m constantly filling my heart with the Lord versus when I’m not, so this year, I really want to make reading Scripture, listening to sermons, and listening to worship music a priority in my daily routine again!
• Learn for the sake of learning!
  • This past semester was amazing as far as grades go, but not such a great one in terms of my motivation to learn. I constantly found myself rushing to finish assignments at the last minute, starting to study a couple of hours before exams, and not finishing all of my assigned readings. I’m privileged enough to attend one of the top universities in America, and I really want to get as much out of it as I can. So, with spring semester just a few weeks off, I really want to prioritize my schoolwork and learning for the sake of learning! I’m going to be taking some very difficult and time-consuming courses this semester, so instead of going into them with the mindset that they’re just too difficult and I’m not going to do well, I want to do the best that I can to stay positive and work through the hurdles – not just to get good grades, but also because I’ll be teaching myself important skills and learning how to think in ways I never thought I could!
• Focus more on my personal health!
  • I used to workout all the time in middle and high school (I played a bunch of sports and loved to run!), but that all changed once I went to college. I’m definitely happy with the way I look, but I’m not at all happy with the way I feel. Climbing a few flights of stairs leaves me tired and out of breath, my flexibility (or lack thereof) is embarrassing, and I can’t run for anywhere near as long as I used to. This year, I really want to make working out a part of my routine again, so I scheduled all of my classes in the late morning/early afternoon to give me time to grab breakfast and hit the gym before I start my day. I love the rush of endorphins I get after a great workout, and I know I’ll feel a lot healthier too!
• Spend more time volunteering!
  • It’s been quite a while since volunteering was something I did on a regular basis. I’ve found that being in college, especially, it can be really easy to spend most of your time focused on yourself – all of the assignments you need to do, books you need to read, exams you need to study for, the status of your GPA, etc. When I’m at Notre Dame, I feel like my entire life is enclosed on campus, but this year, I really want to prioritize branching out of the academic world and volunteering in my local community. There is no shortage of opportunities to give back in the South Bend area, and I think it would be great to use my time and skills to help other people flourish!
• Cultivate my friendships!
  • This semester has been an interesting one with a lot of highs and lows. I wasn’t able to hang out with my core group of friends as much as I did last year, and even though they were all still there for me during some rough valleys, I feel like in some ways we’ve grown apart. We all had our own busy schedules and things going on, and even though we all live next to each other, I really didn’t get to spend all that much quality time with them. This year, I really want to focus on cultivating those relationships and doing my best to make time for them — whether it’s going out for lunch or coffee breaks, or just dropping by for late-night chats and hang outs. I’ve made some amazing friends at Notre Dame, and our time is limited (I can’t believe I’m already almost halfway through college!), so I want to make the most of it while I still can!

My Verse for This Year:

“Watch carefully then how you live, not as foolish persons but as wise, making the most of the opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore, do not continue in ignorance, but try to understand what is the will of the Lord. And do not get drunk on wine, in which lies debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and playing to the Lord in your hearts, giving thanks always and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father.”
– Ephesians 5:15-20

…And that’s about it for 2020! These are all things that I’m absolutely capable of doing, and I know my life will be filled with so much more peace and joy if I keep these goals at the forefront of my mind throughout the year!

I would love to hear what your goals and resolutions are for 2020, so feel free to leave a comment down below with anything you want to work on or prioritize as we enter into the new year!