New Year 2020

It's officially a new year, a new decade. Truly the start of something new and exciting. I am cautiously optimistic about this new year (and decade) and the adventures and opportunities that it will hold. It is going to be a fun one.

For the past several weeks (or months), the internet has been filled with the decade challenge and people's new year resolutions so I thought that I would play along.

Let's start with reviewing the last decade:
At the start of 2010 I was still a freshman in high school, 14.5 years old and I thought I knew where my life was heading. I didn't know that I would be in an OTD program or that I would work as a CNA for 3+ years or that I would end up moving to ID or find 2 more siblings. These things never would ave occurred to me because I was a child and didn't exactly think everything through (and honestly, most of this could not have been predicted.

My college plans were nothing like I predicted either, having planned on going directly to grad school after completing my bachelor's degree. I never anticipated working for 2 years before being accepted into a program. And I certainly never dreamed that this program would be in North Dakota.

I thought then that relationships would come easily and that I knew my beliefs when the reality is much different. Relationships are hard and slightly impossible and my beliefs have changed drastically.

I am the same person and completely different than I was. And 10 years from now I will probably have a similar analysis with a similar conclusion.

And now, reviewing the last year:
Outcomes of my "resolutions":
(1) To not cut or dye my hair --> I did really well with this one (which is funny because it was the one I was sure would fail). It was actually the only resolution that I remembered making. My hair has gotten longer and I have enjoyed it being longer and being able to style it again (braids and plats are fun). I noticed great improvement in my stress management strategies that did not include just chopping my hair off when things got rough.

That being said, I did get my hair trimmed today to get rid of the year long frizzy split ends. However I am going to continue to let it grow and will not be dying it again at this time.

(2) To take opportunities as they come --> Still a work in progress but I think it went passably well. Last year I did manage to take life more in stride, opportunities and failings. I made a conscious effort to accept what came my way and move with it instead of against it. Definitely something to continue to improve though as I continue to make long and complex lists and plans for the future.

(3) To be more accepting of my faults --> I had a really rough few semesters and struggled with a lot of assignments and classes which really gave me the opportunity to practice this skill. I definitely made improvements. However, I do struggle a lot with accepting more superficial and perceived "faults" (body image, dress style, exercise) and so that was an interesting discovery that I was not aware of before.

(4) To make more of an effort to connect with others --> I finally know most of my classmates! I really went out of my way to connect with people this last year and have definitely made improvements in my socialization. At both work and school I became more adept at socializing and connecting with my peers and have noticed an increased feeling of support and community.

This last year was rough and filled with terrifying new experiences (fieldwork, group classes, meeting new family, etc.), stressful schoolwork and classes, and changing visions of the future. It was also amazing because I made it through all of that and am still going strong.

In this coming year, I have every intention to continue the growth that I have begun as I work to be the healthiest and happiest version of myself. As such, I will not be making any resolutions but I will make goals (basically the same thing but with less pressure attached) in order to achieve "optimum health". And there will only be 3 of them because then I might actually remember to do them.

Here they are:

(1) Spend at least 15 minutes of uninterrupted time outside at least three times a week --> This is more than just walking out to a your car and calling it good. This involves taking the time out of your day to walk outside and enjoy the sun (or snow or rain or whatever) and admire the natural (or artificially natural) world. Also might help boost my vitamin D...

(2)  Be active, in any way, for at least 15 minutes at least twice a week. --> My goal is health and as such, starting slow is the goal. Often, exercise, for me anyhow, fails because I rush into everything too quickly and then burn out. By setting the goal low and slow I increase my activity without running the risk of burning myself out. (On that note, I might try yoga or some simple activities like that in order to increase overall balance and flexibility).

(3) Take time for myself for at least an hour once a week for a mental health break. --> This goal is concerned directly with maintaining a healthy balance in my life. By setting aside a time every week that is solely for me, I will be able to take a brain break from all the stress and worry of the semester and my responsibilities in order to center myself and re-focus.

Let's hope it goes well.

Happy New Year!