November 16, 2021
Artist: Halley Barger Elliott
As I sit in the fluorescent-light filled kitchen of my sorority house, I stare at my computer screen and watch the seconds tick. Slowly the clock turns to midnight and it’s the morning. One of my best friends, Lexi, immediately turns and showers me with hugs. It is finally my twentieth birthday, and I am overwhelmed by a jumble of emotions. While I have been awaiting this milestone for what feels like forever, now that it is finally here, I truthfully don’t know how to feel. Leaving my teenage years behind feels necessary, yet nerve wracking (to say the least). As I begin an entirely new chapter of my life, all of my many hopes for the upcoming year inevitably start to overtake my headspace. Instead of letting my anxiety get the best of me, I shut my computer and head to my room, eager to dump my thoughts onto paper. Keep reading to hear the list I ended up with- my twenty things I wish to accomplish in my twentieth year.
My List of Twenty Wishes for the Upcoming Year:
Keep in contact with those who matter most. With how busy college life or life in general gets, it’s not always easy to stay in touch with those who I don’t see on a daily basis. This year, I want to prioritize my relationships with my family and friends who I love from a distance.
*Really* let go of the pressure from social media. Determining my self-worth based on the number of likes received on any given Instagram post only harms my mental health. Sharing what I want to without fear of judgement will be a big step forward for me.
Travel somewhere new. Given everything that’s happened this past year I really missed out on a lot of opportunities to see the world around me. I hope to travel somewhere exciting this year in an effort to make up for lost time.
Learn to live in the present! This year, I want to stop romanticizing the past for good. I have so many positives to appreciate here and now- wasting time focusing on the past accomplishes nothing.
Pursue my passions. As cliché as it sounds, my future is steadily approaching. I would love to narrow down my many interests in order to figure out what I most want to accomplish after college.
Eat the slice of cake. In the past, I have given into diet culture, letting food overpower my daily life. I hope that I can remind myself that food is fuel, and is meant to be enjoyed without unnecessary stress.
Make time to read. My love for books has been reignited recently, and allows me a much needed break from staring at electronic screens. Throughout my 20’s, I hope to continue my ongoing streak of reading 1-2 new books per month.
Learn to cook. I’m slowly becoming aware that Trader Joe’s frozen meals aren’t going to cut it in the long term- so I would love to work on developing my culinary skills!
Make an impact on my community. During high school, I was very involved in philanthropy and volunteer work. Starting to incorporate service work back into my regular routine is a priority of mine this year.
Keep a consistent journal. I’ve always kept a journal, but have never been able to remain consistent with writing. Starting and ending my day with journaling keeps me level headed, and as stress free as possible.
Learn how to ride a bike (finally). Ask my dad about this one- I never learned how to ride a bike as a kid. It feels about time to learn as I start my twenties.
Save money for the future. Do I really need to buy starbucks *several* times a week? With adulthood practically in full swing, learning how to budget finances properly is another main priority of mine.
Wake up earlier. I’ve never been a morning person, but I always feel more productive when my days start sooner rather than later.
Spend more time outside. Going on long walks has become a staple in my daily routine. I hope to continue this habit and work on appreciating nature to a greater extent- Ann Arbor weather permitting, of course.
Listen to new music often. Making Spotify playlists has become a critical stress reliever and creative outlet for me, amidst the many stressors of college life. Pushing myself to discover more new music this year is a prominent goal of mine.
Support a new local business every month. Ann Arbor has so many small businesses that I’ve yet to try, and supporting them instead of always picking Starbucks and Chipotle would definitely be a better choice.
Appreciate my family more. Without their support, my full 19 years of life wouldn’t have been nearly as fulfilling (or possible). As I begin my twenties, I hope to make sure my whole family knows how much they mean to me, as often as I can.
Start my own website. As college has gone on, I’ve wanted to create a resource where I can access all of my writing in one place. Starting my own website or blog is a big jump, but I believe I’m up to the challenge.
Step outside of my comfort zone more often. It’s easy to get stuck in the same old routine after so long, but taking risks every once in a while will help increase my motivation in all aspects of my life.
Look for something positive in each day, even if some days you have to look a little harder. My final wish is to fulfill this quote as often as possible. I have it taped up on my desk, and this daily reminder has already begun to shift my mindset for the better.
I want to take this reset on the clock as I prepare to enter my 20s with the greatest years ahead of me.