As we near the end of the semester and the calendar year, we are plagued opportunities for reflection. Our professors asked us to fill out course evaluations telling them about the things that went well, the things that didn’t, and what they could improve on. At Thanksgiving, we ate turkey and mashed potatoes with friends and family and shared the things that we were thankful for this year. We picked out our classes for next semester with the hope that we will be better students: getting our assignments done on time and making it to that 8 AM Monday lecture every week. And, of course, we will take some time to create our infamous New Year’s Resolutions for 2022. 

While self-reflection is incredibly valuable, I feel that these situations make the practice feel forced. Once we’ve landed on our resolutions, there seems to be this overwhelming sense of pressure to stick to them which makes it feel like more of a chore than a way to make a positive change in our lives. I’ve found in my own life that the most impactful changes I’ve made didn’t start on a certain day, they just kind of happened. 

In the beginning of the summer, I fell into a little bit of a slump. The winter term was over, my home friends were still at their colleges, and my summer job didn’t start for a few weeks. I had no responsibilities. I slept in until 11 AM, would scroll aimlessly through Tik Tok, maybe go to the gym, and repeat. Sure, it was relaxing, but I didn’t feel complete. I wasn’t sure how to get out of this loop until I came to the realization that I didn’t deserve to live like this. I owed it to myself to make a difference. I started out with a simple tip from my dad: make my bed.

“If you don’t do anything else today, at least you’ve made your bed... and that’s something.”- Len Tully

From then on, I’ve managed to make my bed every single day. I’ve found that by starting off my day by already checking something off of a list, I’m filled with motivation to take on other tasks, leading to the completed feeling I craved. I try to make my bed first thing in the morning, but sometimes things come up and I make it right before I go to bed and that’s okay. Making a resolution doesn’t mean you have to get it perfect every time. Self growth doesn’t have any rules, just a commitment to improve.

The decision to make a lifestyle change shouldn’t be fueled by a date, but by your own will. It is only until you realize that you deserve to live a more fulfilling life that you will feel truly motivated to stick to your resolutions. Through making my bed, I’ve found that no matter what type of day I’ve had, I’m always set up to end my day on a high note and feel at peace when I go to sleep. No matter what change you decide to make, it’s important to remind yourself of the way it will positivize your life to serve as a continual reminder to keep it up.

As we endure this time of closure and move into a new year and new semester, I encourage you to use this as an opportunity to not just reflect, but start a journey of reflection. Don’t let your New Year’s Resolutions be defined by a new year. Start now. And if they don’t last, don’t be discouraged, just start again. Self improvement doesn’t have winners or losers. And I think that’s the beauty of it.