Good evening lovely readers, and happy 2016!!!

After giving 2015 one last farewell in my previous post, now it is only right to start the new year off on a positive note. After an intense year, both academically and personally, I am determined to approach 2016 with a renewed sense of determination and patience. I know resolutions often get a bad rap for not being accomplished, but I wanted to make a list of things I’d like to achieve so that, at the end of this year, I can reflect back and see which ones I managed to do. I find making resolutions really helpful because they give me something to look forward to and work towards. Plus, it feels so good once I accomplish something and can check it off my list.

♥Stay in touch 

With the first day of my spring term at university tomorrow, my social life will take a dramatic turn from nights out with friends to nights in the library with my daily dose of social interaction coming from the librarian telling me the library will be closing in 15 minutes. I really want to try to stay in touch with friends, and organize meet-ups whenever I can. Study date in the library, anyone???

♥Live as though no one is watching

I am a shy person by nature, and suffer from anxiety and OCD. I am the type of person who always looks at the ground when she walks and really tries her best to remain inconspicuous. While this means I have more than likely avoided being the protagonist in someone’s “I saw this girl the other day who . . . ” story, it also means that I probably have not been living my life to the fullest. We only come by this way once, and I want to spend more time trying new things, and less time worrying about what others will think of me.

♥Blog more

I have fallen in love with blogging over the past year, and I want to keep it up. I am currently working on a blogging schedule that I can fit around my university schedule so that I can post more regularly but also be able to take my time and write posts that I love and hopefully you all will love too.

♥Get in some exercise

As much as I argue that writing an in-class essay so quickly that your hand cramps up counts as strength training, or that power walking from one building to another during the 10-minutes between classes counts as cardio, I am forced to admit that these might not be the best forms of exercise. Don’t get me wrong, they are vital skills for the academically inclined, but they do little for your physical and mental health. This year, I really want to try and fit in some exercise. A yoga class, a running group, a pod of friends to quiz on linguistic terms while we all work off our stress on elliptical machines. Just any kind of physical activity that gives my brain a rest but my body a good workout.

♥ Drink more water

As someone who has such a tiny bladder that I have to pop off to the bathroom every two hours or so, come school time I tend to dramatically limit my water consumption. When you’re struggling to make it across the university campus in time for your next class, drinks of water must be limited and bathroom trips scheduled in advance. No joke, last term I had to go through my weekly timetable and block off areas where I could go, and where the nearest bathroom was. Granted, this was weirdly organized of me, but it often left me feeling lethargic. The brain needs water to function properly, and given all the academic work I force it to do on a daily basis, I owe it the courtesy of helping it run optimally.

So those are the little resolutions I have decided to set myself for 2016. Some are already in progress, like working on establishing a blogging schedule, while others have yet to be started. I plan on making the most of this year, and I hope you all do too.

What sort of resolutions have you set for 2016???