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My New Year’s Resolution Fell Apart, What Now?

It’s the end of January and it’s been a year since President Trump has been in office. Every day he’s done something off the cuff and we’ve all been watching in terror. In 2018, we promised ourselves we would be more politically involved. We’d turn out for every ballot, we’d stand in line and sit in city hall meetings and find out who our representatives are. We promised we’d be proactive so we wouldn’t be railroaded by random policies and actions that we, the American people, didn’t consent to.

My question is, have you kept your New Year’s Resolution?

I’ll be honest, when it comes to New Years Resolutions I’m the worst. I can make goals and design vision boards like nobody’s business, but when it comes to just consciously making different decisions to better my life and sticking to them, it gets hard. So I devised a list to help you keep your political resolutions as well as your life goals.

Since the Ohio Senate just passed an outrageous bill that will make women that get an abortion responsible for either burying or cremating their fetus, we’ll start with knowing your legislature’s voting schedule. I registered in Ohio and I read this calendar to stay up on my elections.

Most states have calendars that will tell you when their elections are, and if you want even more local information, you just have to google it.

You said you’d be healthier right? Let me guess, you haven’t gone to the gym yet?

If you need motivation bring a friend. This way if you both go to the gym you’ll be holding each other accountable. This is also good if you have anxiety, or maybe don’t like going to a crowded place, having a friend as a buffer makes everything easier.

Want to make sure your grades stay up?

Reach out to your professors! If you get to know them, they’ll tell you other resources to use that will help you ace the class. Also, if your University offers it, get a tutor! On Kent State University’s Campus it’s free, and I’m always in there for my math homework.

 

LEARN HOW TO SET GOALS!

A Goal should be SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Timely.

You can’t just say “ I want to be a better listener this year.” That’s not specific enough and you won’t be able to hold yourself accountable to anything.

If your resolution is to ‘be a better listener to your friends when they come to you with a problem’ then that’s doable, and you’ll be more conscious about your actions.

Make sure your goals are specific: Your goal targets a certain area of your life.

Specific: What do you want? You can’t just wake you and say “I want to be a better person” You have to look at who you are, and what you want to work to change.

Measurable: Make sure you’re able to monitor your success! If you want to save money make sure to include how much you want to save and when you’d like to have it.

Achievable: That means your goal is realistic! You won’t lose 200 pounds in a week, but it you set small goals, or give yourself enough time, you may lose 10 pounds in a month.

Relevant: Make sure your goal isn’t too far away. Saying “I want to be married by the time I’m 35” is a great goal, but also has way too many variables attached to it in order to be a SMART goal.

Timely: If you give yourself enough time, and check-in with yourself as you go, you’ll be able to reach your goal quickly and efficiently. But, if you don’t assign a due date to your resolution, you won’t be able to keep up with it.

We barreled through 2017, and now we’re rolling right into 2018. Don’t forget about what you set out to do, and don’t let anyone stop you from achieving your goals. Read news outlets more often and stay alert on any news. Take time out for yourself and make sure you do your best to look out for yourself in 2018.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lailah Berry

Lailah Berry

Major: Journalism Minoring in Fashion Media and Public Relations Hometown: Gaithersburg, Maryland Favorite writer: I don’t have a favorite writer but, I love Kanye. he …

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