Setting new year’s resolutions has never been something I commit myself to, particularly diving straight into resolutions that require action like going to the gym 4 times a week, eating out only once a week etc when it doesn’t suit my lifestyle. Instead of actionable items, my goal for the year is to focus on how I want to feel.
After some considerable thought, I rounded down my themes for 2023 to the following:
- discipline
- motivation
- self-growth
- academic success
- focus
- contentment
- financial security
- health prioritisation
- introspection
- mental wellbeing
I still have actionable goals that I hope to achieve though, which I won’t share to preserve how personal it is to me! But the above themes are what I hope to feel once I get there.
Last year was really the pinnacle of starting my self-growth journey. It was my partner and I’s first full year of living together, I graduated from my bachelor degree and started law school, started a new job in February, moved from our inner-city apartment to the suburbs and went on two international holidays.
On a deeper level, it was also a difficult year. I struggled to adapt in a new workplace where my severe negative self-worth really thrived and prompted me to start seeing a new psychologist which was so incredibly helpful. My psychologist also helped me safely explore my traumatic childhood and adolescence and dysfunctional relationships which eventually lead to this journey of getting my shit together. To be completely transparent, it was incredibly difficult reliving past memories but it really unlocked my ability to unlearn beliefs that were holding me back for so long and it truly felt like a new beginning.
2024 is a continuation, another year to explore the depths of my ability and maximise all aspects of my life. Now that I have coping mechanisms to handle stress and other mental hurdles, I really want to hone in on my mental wellbeing, develop holistic eating habits, structure full time work and uni in a way that brings me a healthy balance without feeling burnt out, and incorporate physical exercise.
In saying that, I also have plans for my itty-bitty community! As a first-generation law student from a family of immigrants, I hope to shed light on the non-traditional law school journey and to provide fellow students with resources they may not have access to. I am so passionate about this side project and am so motivated to grow a community. I truly, truly believe that we can, and deserve, to prioritise ourselves and cultivate a life and career that is meaningful to us.
Here’s to 2024!
Lots of love,
Liselle