Hey everyone! I hope you all had a lovely Christmas, or a great time celebrating whatever you do over the winter season. I certainly did, and with all the lazing time I had over today, I decided to write my New Year's Resolutions. School is back in swing now, so it has certainly been difficult to get started on my resolutions, but I thought that'd I'd share them with you all and hopefully inspire you a little bit!
1. Write at least 10 minutes a day.
I've recently been dealing with some pretty bad depression, and basically all my passions have fallen by the wayside because of it. However, I've noticed that when I do write, I feel happy and productive and it tends to inform my mood for the rest of the day. I like this resolution because 10 minutes goes fast, and it leaves the option to write for longer if I'm particularly feeling it. I tend to average about 300-500 words in ten minutes, so writing 1,000 words every two days is pretty hefty and productive! So far, I've been doing fairly well on this goal, and it's making me feel enthusiastic about my hobbies again.
2. Practice violin at least three times in the school week and once on weekends, for at least five minutes each time.
This is another passion that has fallen by the wayside for me--with so much homework going on and the like, it's been difficult to take the time to do some quality work with my instrument. I decided to not get quite as ambitious as committing to violin every day, instead just focusing on a couple times a week. This will hopefully start to improve my skills again, and get me more passionate!
3. Read 15 books this year.
School-required reading has recently gotten in the way of my individual reading time, and losing this main form of relaxation has been really taxing on my energy. My goal last year was 50 books, and I just barely hit 13, so I'm deciding to create a slightly more modest goal this year.
4. Meditate at least three times a week.
I am a very "on" person, constantly thinking and worrying and planning. Therefore, I'd like to work on creating space in my life where I can reflect or simply quiet my brain on a regular basis. In a previous article about good apps for self help, I talked about the app Stop, Breath & Think, which is a free meditation app that provides guided meditations. I find it incredibly helpful, and it has tons of guides for various emotions you may be wanting to settle.
5. Continue to work on my mental health.
Last year, one of my goals was to "figure out my mental health", and in 2015, I got a counselor and started to really come to terms with my mental illness. After a period of improvement, I was hit hard by depression this fall and winter, and have been grappling with it continuously. This year, I want to keep working with it and also continue speaking out about it.
6. Worry less about what other people think and do. Focus on you and those you care about.
With the onset of my depression, I've gotten incredibly paranoid and stressed about other people's issues and what they think of me. This year, I'd like to start thinking less about other people in a negative or self-esteem-destroying manner, and instead focus on lifting people up and spending time with people that lift me up.
7. Simplify. Don’t say ‘yes’ to everything. Focus on what makes you happy, and what needs to be done to get what makes you happy.
If you know me, you know that I'm one of those people that feels like they have to do everything, or else they're somehow a failure or losing or quitting. This year, I want to make myself feel okay with doing less and focusing more on things I truly am passionate about.
Well, there they are, folks! What do you think of my New Year's Resolutions? Are there any that you could apply to your own life? And what are yours? Please feel free to comment on or share this post with people you think might enjoy my resolutions, or tell me about your own. Together, we can make 2016 happy, relaxing, and adventurous!
Good luck and much love,
Kekai
1. Write at least 10 minutes a day.
I've recently been dealing with some pretty bad depression, and basically all my passions have fallen by the wayside because of it. However, I've noticed that when I do write, I feel happy and productive and it tends to inform my mood for the rest of the day. I like this resolution because 10 minutes goes fast, and it leaves the option to write for longer if I'm particularly feeling it. I tend to average about 300-500 words in ten minutes, so writing 1,000 words every two days is pretty hefty and productive! So far, I've been doing fairly well on this goal, and it's making me feel enthusiastic about my hobbies again.
2. Practice violin at least three times in the school week and once on weekends, for at least five minutes each time.
This is another passion that has fallen by the wayside for me--with so much homework going on and the like, it's been difficult to take the time to do some quality work with my instrument. I decided to not get quite as ambitious as committing to violin every day, instead just focusing on a couple times a week. This will hopefully start to improve my skills again, and get me more passionate!
3. Read 15 books this year.
School-required reading has recently gotten in the way of my individual reading time, and losing this main form of relaxation has been really taxing on my energy. My goal last year was 50 books, and I just barely hit 13, so I'm deciding to create a slightly more modest goal this year.
4. Meditate at least three times a week.
I am a very "on" person, constantly thinking and worrying and planning. Therefore, I'd like to work on creating space in my life where I can reflect or simply quiet my brain on a regular basis. In a previous article about good apps for self help, I talked about the app Stop, Breath & Think, which is a free meditation app that provides guided meditations. I find it incredibly helpful, and it has tons of guides for various emotions you may be wanting to settle.
5. Continue to work on my mental health.
Last year, one of my goals was to "figure out my mental health", and in 2015, I got a counselor and started to really come to terms with my mental illness. After a period of improvement, I was hit hard by depression this fall and winter, and have been grappling with it continuously. This year, I want to keep working with it and also continue speaking out about it.
6. Worry less about what other people think and do. Focus on you and those you care about.
With the onset of my depression, I've gotten incredibly paranoid and stressed about other people's issues and what they think of me. This year, I'd like to start thinking less about other people in a negative or self-esteem-destroying manner, and instead focus on lifting people up and spending time with people that lift me up.
7. Simplify. Don’t say ‘yes’ to everything. Focus on what makes you happy, and what needs to be done to get what makes you happy.
If you know me, you know that I'm one of those people that feels like they have to do everything, or else they're somehow a failure or losing or quitting. This year, I want to make myself feel okay with doing less and focusing more on things I truly am passionate about.
Well, there they are, folks! What do you think of my New Year's Resolutions? Are there any that you could apply to your own life? And what are yours? Please feel free to comment on or share this post with people you think might enjoy my resolutions, or tell me about your own. Together, we can make 2016 happy, relaxing, and adventurous!
Good luck and much love,
Kekai
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