If you’ve been on social media recently, you’ve probably heard people share their “2024 ins and outs”. This is essentially another take on a new year’s resolution, but not only does it include things people want to do during the year, but also bad habits that they want to cut out. The ultimate goal of this is to verbalize and lay out the habits you would like to develop and get rid of for the year. In the spirit of our first blog for 2024, a big year for us seniors as we move onto the next phase of our lives, I wanted to share some of my ins and outs for the year. 

Ins: 

1. Focus: I have always struggled with being inattentive. I struggle to sit and work for long periods of time without getting distracted. I can’t even sit through an episode of TV without going on my phone in between or playing a game while I watch. This year, since finding the right studying habits and work ethic is crucial to starting my college experience off strong, I hope to find some techniques that work well for me to build my focus including meditation and mindfulness to calm my mind.
2. Reading: I have never been a big reader. While I appreciate all of the things literature has to offer, I cannot get myself to focus long enough to make it through a book and I always find myself wanting to do something different. I am well aware of all of reading’s benefits for the brain and for my lifestyle, so I hope to get through 1 book a month (starting small!) this year. 
3. Living in the moment: The constant question of where life is going to take me this year occupies my mind more than I’d like to admit. But as college decision season is among us and we are second semester seniors, I am beginning to realize that constantly thinking ahead makes me miss out on the precious moments right in front of me, and I continue to worry about things that aren’t in my control. My friend once told me that “he who suffers before it is necessary suffers more than is necessary”, the only thing I get from worrying about things that haven’t happened is an increased heart rate. 

 

Outs:

1. Saying sorry: Now, I don’t mean never saying sorry because I’m still a good person. But, I have a horrible habit of saying sorry after every little thing regardless of whether it’s my fault. This is something I really think needs to be worked on before I go to college so that people don’t think I’m a pushover and I am able to hold my ground as I face the real Computer Science world. While this has been an increasingly difficult feat given my people pleasing personality, I’m slowly becoming mentally stronger and I’ve found that it’s serving me well, especially in environments such as robotics or my computer science extracurriculars. 
2. Soda: This year I’ve made it a point to avoid soda. My constant desire for carbonation and a fun drink wi
   th me has led me to consume a lot more soda than I have in the past, and I’m hoping to cut that habit this year. I’ve found that sparkling water and Poppi, a prebiotic soda brand that mimics the taste of popular sodas such as Coke and Sprite, have been good replacements and make my sensitive stomach feel so much better than regular soda ever did.
3. Comparison: “Maybe the grass is greener on the other side because it’s fake”. I’ve come to realize that everybody is fighting their own demons that no one else knows about, and comparing myself to anyone else is pointless because we are all living under different circumstances and situations. All I can control is what I do with what I was given and make the most out of my own situation. As a result, I am making an effort to cut out comparison between myself and anyone else. 

 

Overall, I hope that these small habits can help me greatly improve my lifestyle before I begin college!