Reflections and Resolutions

Ah, New Years…the time for telling ourselves all of the great things we will do in the new year and all of the changes that will help us along the way. Then January 15th rolls around and we are back to our old habits.

 
It is that time of year again when we all say that we have this long list of things we want to do better in the new year than in the current year. The time where gyms are full as many people take it upon themselves to workout more. That seems like a common theme for New Years resolutions. We want to be healthier, and it seems like there is no better time to do that than after all of the holidays have come and gone. I try and make resolutions each year, but I-like many others-often will pick too lofty of a goal: lose ten pounds a month, cut out junk food completely, etc. Those are both good goals, but unless you are already on your way to reaching them, you will probably crash and burn. Start small with goals like: eat a piece of fruit instead of chips for a snack, pack lunch instead of going out every day. It’s the small, more attainable goals that will help you become more ready to go after the long-term goals that you have.

I had a pretty wild ride in 2015. Here is a look at the biggest moments I had, month by month.

January: Took my first upper level college classes.

February: Auditioned on flute for my current university.

March: Filled out my housing contract for said university.

April: Enrolled in classes at my current university.

May: Officially became a student at my current school.

June: Started taking my blog seriously.

July: Ended my teen years with a bang! (Not really, I spent the day at the mall followed by an evening in at home.)

August: Moved into a dorm for the first time.

September: Marched in my first football game.

October: Actually did a little bit of socializing.

November: Performed in a masterclass for a world class flutist.

December: Fell head-over-heels in love with my blog.

I don’t think I set any resolutions this year, and if I did, I certainly didn’t keep up with them past January. I did grow a lot as a person, though. I have grown musically, and I have matured since living on my own in a dorm. I don’t think I will be setting any big goals for 2016, at least none that are out of my control. I would love to increase the amount of time I spend on my flute, but I am not going to say that I want to practice for 4 hours a day by the end of January. I need to set a more realistic goal of maybe practicing two hours daily by the end of January, three hours a day by the end of February, and so on.
I might want to set a goal to eat more healthfully, but again, I am not going to set a goal of quitting junk food cold turkey. Instead, I might decide to have a piece of fruit instead of a pack of fruit snacks. That is an attainable goal, and that is what is important when making any sort of life change, for the new year or otherwise.
Thanks for reading, and have a happy New Year!