What a concept. Why does it seem so hard to do the things we want to do in life without the fear of judgment or criticism from others? Why do we even care what others think? Why is it we tend to care more about the opinions of perfect strangers than what we think of ourselves?
Well this is me recommitting to myself.
Roughly four months ago I came to the decision to start a blog. Since then I have written one post. Just one. I was too nervous of what people would think or say about me. Whether or not they would like what would have to say. I spent months researching what strategies worked best for others bloggers. I read article after article telling me to find a niche, a passion area, to write about. But, I felt stumped. I have so many passion areas and so many random ideas and I couldn’t pick just one. I then I remembered. I don’t have to.
This space is my own and I should treat it like that. Now I am throwing traditional rules out of the window and deciding to write about whatever I want to without worrying about the thoughts and opinions of others.
So, here are some of my goals to help me recommit to myself this summer:
1) Read more.
After I began to lose my eyesight, I struggled with reading. I was too proud to try audiobooks and strained my eyes constantly trying to read a size ten-font novel. Recently, I have come to love listening to books on my Audible account while working out at the gym, going on walks around campus, or just relaxing in my apartment on a lazy weekend.
2) Meditate.
I love living a hectic, fast-paced life but it is nice to take a few minutes to reflect on my goals for the day or week and to be grateful for all of the opportunities that I have. Since beginning this practice, I feel less stressed and more at-ease. I have been able to regulate my sleeping patterns more and can keep my anxiety more in check.
3) Run.
Similarly to meditating, running is my opportunity to relieve stress and feel stronger both physically and mentally. I used to hate running because I was no good at it. I could barely run a hundred feet without feeling tired or winded. So I started small. A few laps here and there or just a casual jog around campus for five minutes. I don’t know where in my process I actually began enjoying the task, but now I run at least once a day, sometimes upwards of forty minutes at a time. While I won’t be running any 5K’s in the near future, it is definitely an important part of my daily routine.
4) Write more.
When I was younger, I used to want to be an author. I loved creating stories and putting words together on paper. Before I was so worried about whether or not people would like what I wrote, I would lose myself in my writing. Whether a reflection or a piece of fiction, I just loved to write. Even now as a graduate student I love writing papers… which definitely helps! I want to write, even if it is just a little bit, every day this summer.
5) Treat myself the way I treat others.
Like most kids, I grew up with the idea that you should treat others the way you want to be treated. But somewhere along the way I forgot to treat myself with the same respect that I show to others on a daily basis. I am that person that will apologize to you if you are the one to run into me. I spend much of my day apologizing to and thanking others for various things throughout the day, but I never take the time to actively do the same for myself. Like many, I am more critical of myself than anyone else. Starting now, I want to change that. I want to be my biggest fan. I want to build myself up the way that I would for my friends and I want to love myself.
If I can achieve these five goals for the summer, it will be one of the most productive summers I have ever had. While I still fill most of my days with work and other obligations, I hope to come back to these five goals and to stick with them. I want to spend this summer improving myself, improving my life, and improving my perspective on all of the opportunities this world has to offer me.
So what are some of your summer goals? It is never too late to start!