By Amelia Alexander
Note: The Icon intended to post this on Dec. 31, but our Webfaction host site technical issues put us behind.
2020 has been a chaotic year to say the least.

The majority of us are relieved that it is coming to a close. Obviously, the problems of 2020 are not gone. The pandemic is still here, and the protests during the summer did not cure our country of racism. However, I think that things are looking hopeful. 2020 has been painful, but I think that we are headed in the right direction.

I never intended to talk about personal goals in this column, but I think when you improve yourself as an individual, it translates to whom you spend time with. I think that if people truly loved themselves and took care of themselves, they wouldn’t feel nearly as inclined to bring down others.

I want to create a positive, loving, environment, where all kinds of people can learn and grow. I thought a timely place to start would be to share my New Year’s resolutions with you.

It is important that we prioritize our mental health. We’ve been put through the wringer this year, and we must keep this in mind. I think it’s important to be proud of yourself for simply being here. I believe there is a balance between loving and accepting yourself and being open to self-improvement that is essential to maintain.

The following goals are designed to foster this balance.

1 - Go to sleep earlier. I find that when I stay up late, even if it’s to get work done, I am less productive. My ambition is driven from my desire to learn, grow, and help be a part of positive change. When I work until my eyes bleed, I can’t work because my eyes are busy bleeding.  Whether I’m staying up late watching Scooby-Doo, or writing an essay, I hope this year I have the discipline to plan to go to sleep a little earlier.

2 - Be more patient. I try to be patient and give others the benefit of the doubt as I wish they would grant me. However, I don’t always succeed. This year, I really want to practice patience.

3 - Have a growth mindset. The growth mindset is something we were taught about in school. It’s about challenging your brain and being open to failure because failure is an important part of learning. I may write an entire article on this philosophy in the future. I truly think it’s something we could all benefit from. I value education and I hope to learn the most I can. Knowledge is power. I hope I can use this mindset to grow as much as possible this year.

4 - Be kind to myself. I believe that in order to fully love others you need to develop a healthy relationship with yourself. This year, I hope to use kind words and actions toward myself.

5 - Be more thoughtful. I don’t consider myself to be careless, but I think most people could benefit from trying to be a bit more thoughtful.

6 - Limit my phone usage. Modern technology can be used as a tool to learn, grow, and inspire. I feel like I have endless opportunities in my back pocket. However, the effects that social media can have on my mental health are not so good. My goal is to spend my time mindfully. I think modern society has lost a sense of mindfulness because of today’s technology. It’s likely that I will write an entire article about social media and several articles about mental health in the future.

7 - Read and write as much as possible. I’ve decided not to put a quantity to this goal. None of my goals have numbers attached to them. I do this so that I do not discourage myself. I think keeping the intention is more important than achieving a certain amount of something. I find that I feel less pressure when I don’t put a number to my goals. This year, I hope I can implement reading and writing into my life daily.

8 - Make the most of every moment. If 2020 has taught me anything, it has taught me to not take my daily life for granted. Going to school, going to practice, going anywhere with crowds- these things that once seemed mundane are now things I miss dearly. Life is fleeting and beautiful, I hope that in 2021 I am able to make the most of every moment.

 9 - On a similar note, I hope to hold on to every positive thing I encounter. I don’t believe that we are entirely accountable for how happy we are. Science proves that our brain chemistry can cause us to feel depressed no matter how hard we try to be positive. I do think however, that we can do the best we can to feel the best we can. There are many things that we have no control over, but our mindset is one thing that we can control. I hope to use this to my advantage for the coming year.

Thank you for reading about my goals for 2021. I hope that we can collectively grow as a community this year. Feel free to share your goals in the comments below!

Happy New Year!