To kick off 2022, we at the Warwick Library Blogs are thinking about new years’ resolutions. Most of us make them every year: eat less, exercise more, spend less money read more books. So, we were no different, and made some resolutions for the year ahead.
By Ellie King
“My New Years’ resolution is to enjoy more and worry less (that’s mine for every year so I don’t think I’m particularly good at it)”
Emily, Study Blog Writer
“One of my resolutions is to take as many opportunities as possible after so much being unavailable last year.”
Lucy, Study Blog Writer
“My New Years’ resolution is to push myself further and achieve as many milestones as I can. Such as my lit review, my upgrade report, publish a paper and get some good experimental results.”
Rupika, PhD Life Writer
“Coming to resolutions, I have decided to work seriously on my blog site. (It’s about programming if you are curious) Hopefully, at least this time round, my resolution makes it to the second week!”
Krishna, Study Blog Writer
These are great resolutions and may be similar to what you have set for yourself too. After all, this last year has been tough, so it makes sense to take opportunities and enjoy every moment as life hopefully gets better. It makes sense to take things seriously and push ourselves as we emerge from the pandemic.
But as good as our intentions are, resolutions can often end up left behind and forgotten about. They’re lucky if they make it into February for me. So why do we set them, full in the knowledge that they’ll be abandoned sooner or later? When asked about her resolutions, PhD Life blogger Lucia said:
‘I’m not a big fan of them because they make me anxious. I guess the big item on my list for next year is to submit my thesis and land some kind of job or post-doc to keep me afloat.’
Lucia, PhD Life Writer
Maybe this is the way to go for all of us. Instead of tying ourselves to those little resolutions, why don’t we take a moment to think about the year ahead and what it will bring for us? What is the next twelve months looking like for you? Are you a finalist looking to complete your dissertation and head out into the working world? Are you are first year looking to make the most of university and bag a summer internship?
So maybe instead of resolutions you want to think about your broader goals, direction, or way of life for 2022. Or, if you do want to set resolutions and keep them, here’s a few pointers that may help.
Firstly, set resolutions that are time-bound. Don’t say ‘I’ll exercise more’ or ‘I’ll read more books’ instead say ‘I’ll go to the gym twice a week’ or ‘I’ll read one book a month.’ And don’t set those expectations too high, otherwise you’re just setting yourself up to inevitably let it slide.
Secondly, find a way to stay accountable to yourself. I find habit tracker apps useful in having something to tick off and keep me going with my goals. But more importantly, make sure you plan in time to do these resolutions. If you’re resolution is to cook at home more, say three meals a week, then make sure in your weekly plan the time is there to do it. You’ll definitely let your resolutions fall if there’s no room for them.
Thirdly, and most importantly, remember that life can change. If we’ve learnt anything over the past two years, it’s to expect the unexpected. I remember setting a load of resolutions in January 2020, and as good as they were going, they had to be thrown out the window for you know what. But it’s okay. It’s okay that I didn’t stick to those resolutions, because things drastically changed. So don’t worry if you find yourself ‘failing’ on your arbitrary resolutions, it doesn’t matter! As long as you’re staying healthy and looking after yourself, it doesn’t matter how many books you read this year.
We hope this helps. At the Library, we’re always keen to offer our support through the challenges of university life, and we expect 2022 to be no different. We have some great events and blog posts coming up in the next year, so keep your eyes peeled for the latest content from us.
Happy New Year!
Header Image: an-2022-urmări-anul-nou-calendar-6786741/ / Tumisu
What are your New Year’s Resolutions, if any? Let us know by leaving a comment below, tweeting us @researchex or emailing us at libraryblogs@warwick.ac.uk
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