Resolutions for the New Year

by Raegan Densmore

Source: https://i.pinimg.com/736x/1a/f3/82/1af382c9d185f165311c3f26e7c36905.jpg

As the new year is finally with us, the practice of creating resolutions becomes fairly common. I, myself, am one of these people, who have set some goals for myself this year. Last year I created a small list, but only managed to complete some of the goals. This year, I plan to complete more, however, my words cannot promise anything like my actions can, so we will see. My list for this year is not too different from last year, but I am coming into this year with much more determination. 

My first couple of resolutions are media based. I am a person who has an interest in the arts so I plan to be a bit more engaged in them this year. My first resolution is the same as last year, which was to watch 50 movies. Previously I only made it to 36. As someone who has an interest in film, I have hopes that watching more movies will inspire me, as it will with my next goal, which is to write more. I write a lot all ready for school, however I wish to write more stories or poetry. If there has been one hobby that has stuck with me my whole life, that has been creating stories. My plan is to put more structure into my personal writings and actually finish them. 

Continuing with the media-based goals, my next goal is also regarding literacy, it is to read 10 books. With the classes I have this year, that should be an easy goal to accomplish. However I also have a plethora of my own books that are begging to be read, and instead, I spend my pastime scrolling on my phone. Reading more books can also, hopefully, inspire me with my own writings as well. Finally, my last media-based goal is to listen to 30 music albums. I have run into the situation where I am listening to the same music and am getting bored of it, so this year I plan to broaden my horizons and discover new music and artists this year. These goals are not simply for the fun of it, but to inspire me on my own path if I plan to pursue my interest in writing. 

The next couple of goals are health-based. First off is to drink a cup of water everyday. My lack of drinking water has definitely been having affects on me. I am hopeful my constant headaches will vanish if I become more hydrated. Also, people I hear make it seem like water is the cure to many problems, so if I drink more, maybe I will become a whole new and improved person. Currently, I am behind on that goal as I have an empty cup of coffee sitting right next to me. 

I would like to pick up a sport. I typically play at least one each year already, but now that I am not at home anymore I fear that it may be harder if I don’t put myself out there. The sports I have in mind that I have partaken in previously are soccer and track and field. However, I believe a good place to start is practicing on my own accord. I have been aching to go on runs, though I fear I may slip and fall in the winter time. It is quite common to see people on runs here in Toronto, I hope to become a runner here as well. My school has sports teams that are low-commitment and for people who wish to practice, maybe I could start there as well. The first step to this is confidence and putting myself out there. 

This leads me to my last goal of gaining more hobbies. I often think of my past and the activities I used to be involved and passionate about. I used to draw and paint often, now I hardly ever pick up a pencil. I also used to partake in theater and be in plays. Sometimes I think about getting back into that. Public speaking is also an interest of mine, which I did multiple times last year. Getting into new hobbies would be fun as well. Anything is better than simply scrolling through Tiktok or Youtube all day, watching people do what I wish to but never muster up the courage to actually do. 

To sum this up, I crave to do more this year. I want to take my interests and actually pursue them. These goals are definitely more interest-based and more self-involved. I have others that involve things like being more environmentally friendly, which I believe everyone should partake in as well, such as buying less and making more use of what you already have. As a first year university student I want to focus on my own personal goals to navigate my way through school and also find more happiness through having interests that I actively pursue. Lastly, I hope to have more determination and confidence this year so I am able to do these things.