- Student Minds Editorial Team
✨ How do you see 2023 as a fresh start? ✨
⭐ Sarah (Student): Every new year, like many of us, I think about the goals I’d like to achieve over the next year. This year, I want to prioritise my personal growth by pushing myself a little bit more outside of my comfort zone.
However, it's really important to me that I don't push myself too hard. I have my own limits, both physical and mental, and it's important for me to recognise these and work within - not against - them. These limits help me to stop comparing myself to others. My limits are personal. I have unique and individual strengths and limitations, just like everyone else. So if I find it difficult to do something that others find easy, that's okay. We all need to take care of ourselves, and for me, that means knowing myself well enough to know when to stop.
This also means not feeling bad if I don’t meet the goals that I may have set at the start of the year. One thing I've learnt when looking back on 2022 is that it's impossible to foresee what will happen. Though I may be disappointed by a few things that I didn't manage to complete, I'm also proud of myself for achieving things that I hadn't even thought of a year ago! So this year, I'm keeping an open mind to whatever life may throw my way.
⭐ Madeleine (Graduate): This year I want to focus on the step in front of me rather than worrying about the whole staircase. In 2022 I learnt that it is important to be grateful for the things that I have in the present in order to find happiness in my everyday life. Rather than setting lofty goals in 2023, I want to focus on achievable steps to get me to places in my life that will make me feel more fulfilled and happy. I have found that when I start to look for the good things in my life my mindset and my outlook becomes more positive. Starting a new year gives me the opportunity to reassess my goals and look at what is and what isn’t working in my life.
I think for me it’s important to recognise my ambitions and goals while also being realistic with each step I need to take to achieve them. I find it's easy to get swept up in new ideas but then be unable to follow them through after a week or so of motivation. This year I’m hoping for a steady approach to addressing my new ideas and resolutions.
I also, while taking this steady approach, want to keep trying new things this year. This can often be scary and daunting, but I have learnt that trying new things that interest me can take me down avenues I couldn’t imagine. They can open new doors and help keep feelings of depression at bay.
⭐ Joe (Graduate): I’m not a person who likes to create a list of resolutions that I’m unlikely to stick to, but instead my main focus this year is to try to push myself out of my comfort zone more. Travelling is a key example of how I aim to do this as I’m planning a 4/5 month solo trip to Australia and South East Asia. Whilst I spent some time travelling around South America with friends last summer, I have not previously travelled alone - and the thought makes me very nervous! However, it is something that I’ve always wanted to do and I’m not going to let feelings of anticipation hold me back.
Alongside this, I want to focus on not comparing myself to others (which can be difficult in the age of social media!), and doing what makes me happy. This means prioritising spending time with friends and family, even during periods of stress, and being present in each moment.
2023 is sure to involve many ups and downs but I feel equipped to tackle the challenges that will come my way!
Read more about the small steps you can take to look after your well-being.
Written by the Student Minds Editorial Team. Find out more about them here.
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