Another new year. Another new semester. Another new chance to effect change in one's life. Hard as it may seem, we all could do with a little change in our lives. Whether that change involves a new haircut, a new shade of lipstick, a new roommate, a new major or a new job, it is time to take that proverbial bull by the horns and, as Nike says, "Just do it!"
Have I mixed enough metaphors yet? Seriously, though, a new year is a great time to re-evaluate your life and give serious consideration to the parts of it you feel good about and those parts you would rather pretend never happened. It's time to decide who you want to be and make serious tracks toward becoming that individual. You can't change where you have been, what you have done or who you have affected in the past; but you can direct your future. One way of evaluating your life is to make lists of where you are now and where you would like to be in five years, one year, six months. Set goals for yourself and then prepare a plan to meet those goals. Don't make your initial goals too grandiose. Be realistic about what can be accomplished in the time frame you have set. Small goals that are tangible are easiest to reach. For example, rather than saying, "I want to be thin," say "I intend to lose 10 pounds in six months." Then be realistic about how to achieve your goal. An example of a realistic plan to achieve the goal of losing 10 pounds in six months is to say, "I'll exercise 10 minutes a day at least three days a week using my exercise bike." By setting reasonable goals and designing a specific action plan to achieve those goals, you make it possible to achieve what you want to achieve.
You will likely find that success is just around the corner.