New Years Day to me, always seemed like a reset button. One that we've all been waiting to press since April when our diet regime didn't quite go as planned. For the most part it's like this tradition where we make superficial promises to ourselves hoping that our life can change in one single day, or that kissing a stranger when the clock hits midnight will somehow alter the rest of our year.
I've never really been one for the whole "New Year New Me" thing, or New Years resolutions in general. I mean, in some instances I believe that they can be a positive influence by creating change within people, but sometimes I wonder just how important those changes are. For example, a common goal can be to lose 20 pounds in 3 weeks but how about a goal to feel better about your body and working on it whenever you have the time. This whole superficial mantra of becoming something better within a day or within a certain time frame doesn't really make sense to me and it shouldn't really be the focus of embracing a new year. There are so many opportunities that come with a new year so many opportunities to grow, do better, change things etc. that this idea to make a promise to look better kind of sounds silly. The reason I'm saying this - and writing this post- is because yes it is a new year but it is the same you. You just need to figure out how to become the best version of you, which technically yes, a new hair do and rock hard abs might help with, but I'm talking about a change that alters how you view the world, how you take on new things, and just in general what makes you a happier person, because those are the things that matter at the end of the year when you look back at what you've done. Would you rather look back at 2017 and think "wow I lost 20 pounds within the first 3 weeks" or "I learned to love myself"?
So now I guess we can reflect on my 2016. I think the biggest weakness for me in 2016, or where I went wrong was not giving myself credit where credit was due and ultimately not believing in myself. I spent so much of 2016 selling myself short, thinking to myself; "you can't apply for that position you're un-qualified" or "you can't buy that shirt it's too bold and you're not bold" or "stay with people who put you down because you can't find better". I re-iterated those things in my head for so long that i began to diminish my own ability to do anything, I felt like I just wasn't good enough for anything so why bother trying? Well I'll tell you why you should bother trying. I read this book #GIRLBOSS half way through the year for a SECOND time and in it Sophia Amarusso said something along the lines of : there are billions of people in the world either trying and succeeding or trying and failing, what's to say you can't be the one that succeeds, in fact be the one that succeeds. Thinking you can't do something only makes it that much more likely that you can't do that "something" it was until I started replacing "I can't" with "I can"'s and "what if's" with "lets see what happens" that I began to see a shift within my self. I mean this didn't happen until this past month but I'm totally going to carry this on into the new year. Working hard and being dedicated DOES pay off, I went from student to intern to specialist within a few months, and have met so many amazing people thanks to my blog, which by the way I didn't believe in until this month.
My New Years resolution last year was to eat healthy. Which was essentially loose weight and get fit amiright?. And while I love staying fit, I think the real resolution I should have made should have been to take care of myself and put a hundred percent into everything that I do. And that means not just in the gym but with work, relationships and growing myself.
So there you have it. This post wasn't supposed to be too long, I just wanted my lovely followers to get a little bit of inspiration before the new year comes our way. Remember it is just another day, how you spend it doesn't determine how you spend the rest of the year, if your alone just take the time to write down ways you can make your year better. Make meaningful resolutions that you can fulfill and lastly just be happy and enjoy life! You're a beautiful person and I know you're going to have an amazing kick-a** year!
Nicole