I wonder how many times in my life have I written a goal down and never completed it? Most likely I forgot what I planned almost immediately and quickly lost the paper or format on which I wrote it down. It seems like such a waste to have all of these dreams and not be pursuing them. So as clichéd as it is here are my three goals for this year.
- Make a schedule and stick to it.
Being in China has taught me some bad habits, the main of which is that I don’t know what I am doing next. I have been trying to learn how to go with the flow but honestly I am not that kind of person. I am quite forgetful if I don’t write things down so I am going to make an effort to be more organized. I think this will help me with my studies and my health.
- Conquer Chinese
If you didn’t know this, I am currently in the process of learning Chinese. In fact I have been in this process for almost 5 years. Before coming to China I never really committed to learning Chinese, but now I have seen such improvement that I can’t stop now. I know that if I focus and put more effort in by the time I leave in June I will be able to communicate freely. If I have learned anything from my time here it is that nothing is impossible unless I make it that way.
- Be happier
One downfall of my study abroad experience is that my depression has gotten worse. I knew this was a possibility but I didn’t expect it to manifest in the way that it has. The fact is that I am not as nice here. Instead of being a positive person I have turned into a mean and judgmental girl and that needs to change. I don’t know when I realized I was changing but the last few weeks it has felt like I wasn’t me and while this is new for me I know how to fix it. It is time for me to stop looking at the negatives and focusing more on the good around me. So what if there are things I don’t like about a person or a culture? There are so many good things that I have been missing all around me and it is time to shift my focus. I am very lucky for the opportunities I have been given and I need to make the most out of the time I have both here in China and in the rest of my time in college.
I am so excited for this New Year and the experiences I have to look forward to in the upcoming months. So what are your goals for 2016?
