This year, our resolutions are a little late. We’re sorry. Perhaps this could be excusable, considering the fact that the last 10 months have been shadowed by a devastating pandemic. Nonetheless, we figured it was still important to set some goals and prioritize before the year is underway.
2020 was rough, so we're keeping our resolutions short and sweet this year. Gone are the days of unrealistic, overly aspirational resolutions — we're setting the bar as low as possible. Here are some goals we can actually hope to attain.
- To have no expectations. There is no reason to convince ourselves that we will accomplish everything. Rather, we should remember that even small progress is progress. Who cares if we don't accomplish everything on this list? At least we tried.
- Build a better sense of community. The pandemic has shown us how much we rely on our fellow Tar Heels to keep us safe. The tireless work of first responders, especially those on our own campus, has not gone unnoticed. We’re looking forward to keeping ourselves updated on vaccine distribution and CDC guidelines, and doing our part to return to some sense of normalcy in the future.
- Find new hobbies. It wouldn’t be a new year without deciding to try a new hobby or pick up a new skill we’re vastly unprepared for. Whether it’s knitting, baking or learning how to code, we hope to use our socially-distanced downtime this semester to learn something new.
- Be kind to ourselves. We’re under enough pressure already. So in 2021, we’re aiming to cut ourselves some slack. You don’t have to move mountains in order to feel like you’ve achieved something — just getting through the day is an achievement, too.
- Set more boundaries. Thanks to the pandemic, the lines between work (or school) and home are blurred. We’re putting our mental health first this year — which means closing our laptops and making more time for ourselves. Whether it's taking a walk or watching our favorite show on Netflix, we'll make sure we find ways to destress after a long day.
- Read more. We say this every year, and it never actually happens. But this will be the year! We're sure of it. With this much free time on our hands, what else are we going to do?
- Eat meals, not just Goldfish. Oversnacking is our worst enemy — and not knowing not to cook isn't really an excuse anymore. Time to channel our inner Gordon Ramsay and whip up an actual dinner.
