With a Twist: New Year’s Resolutions

 

Disclaimer: this blog is not about bartending or ordering a drink. In order to understand why my column is titled “with a twist,” answer these three questions first.

1. Do you ever feel frustrated?
2. Do you ever wish you knew someone who had solutions to your life struggles?
3. Do you ever feel like you are surrounded by negativity?

If you answered one, two, or all three questions “yes,” then you are in luck. If you answered zero questions “yes,” you are also in luck. This blog is designated to the everyday person, the overachiever, the couch potato, the extrovert, the homebody and the people that fall in line wherever they choose to. No matter who you are, where you live, or what you like to do in your spare time, there is an undeniable connection among any college student: Our days are filled with challenges. From fitness to friendship, it is important to make the best out of every possible situation. This is where I come in. I aim to give advice on how to turn everyday difficult situations into something positive. In other words, tackling challenges with a twist.

First order of business: New Year’s. I don’t believe in the phrase, “new year, new me.” Realistically, it’s pretty impossible to become a new person between Dec. 31 and January 1. Nevertheless, there is an element of worthiness in this infamous expression. Essentially, New Year’s resolutions aim to change the factors of your life that you do not like. So this year, I’m making my own motto: “new year, new decisions.” I am focusing less on becoming a “new person,” and more on altering the decisions I make in life to create positive changes in 2017. Ultimately, I realized general resolution lists are not realistic on a college campus. That is why I created my own New Year’s resolutions list with a twist.

Fitness. Let’s be honest, getting to the Lyon Center is a workout in itself. My initial resolution of “work out more!” is a joke because that is the most general resolution I have ever read. Instead, I decided to make a weekly schedule providing designated times to work out and actually do it. Whether it is hitting the weight room or trying a workout class at the Lyon Center, I promise to make the time to work out. Commitment to my workout schedule. That is my New Year’s fitness decision.

Health. To be honest with you, I’m already a healthy eater so my resolution really can’t be to “eat healthier.” However, health is not only food related. Rushing from class to class, the row to campus, and my dorms to the gym is exhausting. Some days it feels like I don’t stop. In order to maintain my emotional health at school I plan on setting time aside from my busy schedule once a day to focus on myself. Whether this is having lunch with a friend, taking a nap to get through the rest of the day, or cooking a healthy meal, I am actively deciding to slow down my days to enjoy them instead of attempting to rush through my schedule.

There are so many more resolutions and so little time. Hopefully, this glimpse at my USC-related resolutions has inspired you to revamp your own. More importantly, I encourage you to remember this year is about you: you have the power to make positive decisions, find time for yourself and let your resolutions become your reality.

Carly Price is a freshman majoring in journalism. Her column, With a Twist, runs on Wednesday every week.