Imagine yourself five years from now. What advice would you give your current self for the year ahead? (Bonus: Write a note to yourself 10 years ago. What would you tell your younger self?)
For the year ahead:
- As previously mentioned, stop procrastinating and finish that M.A. project so you can get your third degree. Yep, third degree, and second master’s degree. Because you like school, you’re good at it, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
- If you feel like you’re too busy, remember that you’re the only one who can change that. Say “no” if you need to. Eliminate unnecessary projects.
- Manage your sleep schedule. In 2010 you did a pretty good job of shifting from an “up till midnight or later” habit to one that gets you in bed around 11. But those 7 a.m. and even 6 a.m. telecons with the Russians come EARLY. You’re not a happy person on 5-6 hours of sleep, especially if that persists for multiple nights in a row. Plan accordingly.
- Either 1) stop worrying about not always keeping the house spic-and-span or 2) hire a housekeeper to come every once in a while.
- Try not to think about things you can’t control. It just stresses you out, which doesn’t help anything or anyone.
For the 22-year-old me:
- Quit freaking out about graduating from college. Right now you’re angst-ridden because you don’t know what’s in store for the future, you don’t know where life will take you, and you can’t imagine being away from the friends you’ve counted on for the past few years. But listen: it will all be fine. It will all be better than fine. Instead of spending the upcoming spring semester as an emotional basket case, just RELAX. And get more sleep. Seriously. MORE SLEEP.
- Enter a 5K race. You’ve tried running before, and it never lasts more than a week or two. But a couple years from now you enter a 5K as motivation…and 8 years later, you’re still a runner and a triathlete. Why not get started a little early? You’ll look better, feel better, and meet TONS of cool people. In a way, running will kind of change your life.
- Embrace the things you love. You’re an engineering major, but you also really love art and design, editing, layout and publishing, and you should embrace that. In ten years, working on the Technique will be one of the most memorable things about college.
- It’s ok that you’re not in a relationship. Really, it is. That thing they say about “it happens when you stop looking for it” is actually kind of true. Annoying, but true. The guys you though you were in love with? You weren’t, and they definitely weren’t in love with you. Just be patient. Five more years is a long time to wait, but trust me, he’s worth it.
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This month, I’m participating in Reverb10, which charges you to “reflect on your year and manifest what’s next.” There’s a different prompt every day.