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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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:
- 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.
- 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. - 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!
I’m not usually someone who makes New Year’s Resolutions because I feel like they never pan out, but this year I did set some goals because, like you said, I want to have good habits going into college. Your first “in,” focus, is something I’m also trying to work on this year. I guess in my case, being more productive by being more focused. This means starting my homework earlier and not procrastinating my work or taking breaks every 10 minutes. I feel like your “outs” are really great because you have some that span the physical realm, like trying to drink less soda, but also some for social and emotional health. One of my “outs” for this year is being messy. Sometimes I find that I just throw things on the floor in my room and leave them there until I muster up the courage to clean up. But, I know I work better when my environment is clean, so I’m trying to keep my room neater by putting things in their place (which isn’t the floor!).
Hey Sam, these are some great goals for 2024! I don’t know why but it feels like everybody is trying to read more this year. I’ve got a few on my reading list, and for once I feel excited to actually dig into those pieces. I will say that I am a common victim of comparison. Especially during college application season, it’s so easy to feel that you are worse/better than someone else. They say that comparison is the thief of joy and I’ve definitely been feeling that lately. Honestly, I’ve never really liked soda that much or any kind of carbonated drink, but I definitely understand trying to cut unhealthy foods out of your life. I’ve been trying to stray away from sugary coffee recently and it’s been working pretty well. After the first semester, my caffeine intake has thankfully been falling.
Samika, your commitment to personal growth shines through as you share your 2024 ins and outs. I applaud your dedication to enhancing focus, considering the importance of a strong work ethic in the upcoming college experience. Your openness about struggling with inattentiveness and your proactive approach to exploring techniques like meditation and mindfulness is truly inspiring. Your post truly made me reflect on my own work ethic and the fact that this year I really didn’t set any ins or outs. I’ll make them now thanks to you; an in would need to be more time set aside for school work. This I suppose also ties into an out of procrastination because I usually have a little time in between school and lacrosse but simply become too exhausted and doom scroll on TikTok or talk to this one weird girl I know. Another out is also related to this, I need to limit my screen time and social media usage. It is bad…
Sam, I love seeing these all over tiktok and l think it’s so cool that you’re sharing your own list of 2024 ins and outs. I do think it’s a great remix of new year’s resolutions because it’s not just things you want to do, but things you will stop doing. And it’s more creative than everyone’s basic “i want to go to the gym more” goal. One of my ins for this year is also to focus more because I tend to procrastinate and get distracted easily, either by my phone or other people. Reading is another thing on my list, along with continuing to upgrade my closet and managing my time better. Oh and maroon colored things. Your first out on your list could not be more relatable and accurate. I too feel that I apologize for things that I shouldn’t say sorry for. It’s become a bit of a problem and I want to cut it out. Overall, I love this list and thanks for sharing!