And just like that, 2020 is over. It's been a wild ride and I've been taking the time to game plan for the new year. I have never done a word of the year and have not always taken the time to really write out new year’s resolutions. We’ve heard it time and time again, “New year’s resolutions last like three weeks tops.” LOL. I've always chuckled at the idea, told myself that getting through the year is an accomplishment enough and do not bother with resetting any mentality. And let's be honest, getting through this pandemic-filled year is accomplishment enough!
2020 was a year like no other. There were a lot of shifts in our normal routines. There were a lot of frustrations and stressors. There was a lot of love and a lot of loss. If you’ve been following my blog and Instagram, you know that for me this year gave me a little bit more than I could handle. I’ve always been one to stick to the planning but I had to go a little off-roading this year. I didn’t always prioritize my mental health or my relationships or my schoolwork like I had in the past. I think the most important skill this year gave me was the skill of learning. I learned about myself, my priorities, what makes me happy, what frustrates me, what keeps me going, why I wake up and do what I do everyday.
Academically, it has been a couple weeks since the semester has ended for me. While I have been taking ALL the time I can to relax, I have also taken the time to re-center and focus on how I am going to be approaching this next year. I haven't taken the time to really hammer out a solid "New Year's Resolution" but more of a "Post-Pandemic Readjusted Focus" (quite the mouthful!)
First, I have one goal: I want to be completely in tune with my relationships, academic goals, passions and lifestyle choices. I do not want to neglect things. This year is a big year for me. I am finishing my sophomore year, starting my junior year, studying and taking the MCAT and taking on some new leadership roles. I hope to have a mindset in which I put myself first and lead a life that is balanced. For me, that means making time for physical fitness, extracurriculars, school work, relaxation and any thing else that interests me.
This year, I am choosing ‘connection’. Maybe it's a word of the year maybe it is just a mentality (I haven’t really figured it out yet). I am learning that every sector of life does not have to be independent. I have the same goal and the same passion for medicine that has been driving every single part of my academic and pre-med career. There’s no reason for passion to stop there right?! So, this year I am connecting every part of my life together.
I am committing to putting passion at the center of everything I do. Presently, when I look at my own story, I am flooded with all the comparison feelings.
“I am not doing as much as they are..."
“I am struggling here and it seems like no one else is...”
“Maybe if I do this, I’ll be as competitive as they are...”
Nope. Wrong Mentality. CONNECT EVERYTHING TOGETHER. Your goals, your passions, you achievements. Remember the award you won a while back, remember the vision board you created one night when you finally decided what it was you wanted to do with your life? Lean into that! Afraid to fail? Life is full of obstacles and we all know that. You wouldn’t have made it this far without them. So why, let the obstacles you have now stop you?
I dropped a class this semester. It devastated me, I prepared and I was capable. For a second, I let that moment determine my capability to pursue the field that I want to. However, I just was not in the right mental space to take on the course load I had and I needed to let go to keep myself sane and balanced. There is not one perfect path, we are all unique and every moment we have had has built our story. At the end of the day, the passion you have for your field and what you’ve learned from your journey defines you.
Do not let someone tell you that what you want is a fleeting dream. Wake up every morning and get after it and take your entire self into everything you do. Remember what you are passionate about and the person you want to be!
I hope you join me in committing to connection this year. What does that look like? Taking every thing that is important to you and connecting it to your life philosophy. Do you want you love, quality over quantity always.
Happy New Year from me to you! Let's make our dreams come true!