New Year, New Me. Really?

Well, ya'll. Congratulations, you've almost made it to the next level, 2022! Whoo-hoo. Alright, all jokes aside, with the days we have left of 2021, are you scribbling away or posting your New Year resolutions, in hopes that this year, you can finally cross some things off your bucket list? Well, I most certainly have done that, and still am doing it. But, one thing that came to my mind, is this question. Will we truly be "new" this year? Or, will we resort to our old habits before the first week of the New Year is even up, and feel too discouraged to continue?

Sometimes, I think society places too much of am emphasis on "planning" who you want to be, and what you want to accomplish, without so much the "executing" it part. We see all those dazzling journals with the cute matching pens, and I don't know about you, but I know I can get carried away with writing down all of my goals, dreams, and ambitions, only to wind up accomplishing next to nothing, by the time the year is over.

So, I ask the question, why is that? How can we stay motivated, stay focused, to actually carry out everything we plan and dream about? Well, I believe I found my answer in a Podcast that I listened to this morning, of a book titled, "Make Your Bed". Essentially, I came to the realization, it all comes down to self-discipline. When you're mentally tough and have discipline, you will continue doing something, even when you want to give up and quit. Now, some of you may say, "Bird, you're preaching to the choir", but how many of us are truly disciplined? How many of us will continue working out, when we have an off day, or study for a test, when we'd rather watch Netflix and eat ice cream? It's forcing yourself to do the things, you simply may not feel like doing at the moment, but knowing in the long run, your hard work and dedication will pay off. That is discipline. It also helps to have a support team, or group of friends to hold you accountable, because we can't "life" completely alone, as much as we try.

Something else I realized, is having unrealistic goals and expectations. Of course, a naturally extroverted person, can't expect themselves to become more introverted overnight, so we can't and shouldn't try to change our personalities. We also shouldn't place unrealistic beauty standards upon ourselves. What do I mean? If I scroll through my Instagram feed, see photos of beautiful supermodels, who are naturally tall, have straight hair, and have facial features different than mine, does that mean I'm going to get plastic surgery, straighten my curly hair everyday, and wear different colored contacts? No, that's ridiculous. I believe the best goal, is to embrace and enhance what you already have and look like, to become the best version of yourself. Maybe that's changing up your wardrobe, or finding a new skincare routine to get the most glowing and healthy skin you've ever wanted. Maybe it's finding a hobby, something you truly enjoy doing, and becoming an expert at it. I believe that we all need to embrace ourselves, love ourselves, and strive to become the most realistic version of ourselves, without compromising to become someone else.

To conclude, if you truly want a new year, and new you, as do I, we must become disciplined, realistic, and execute! We can do this, together!