Ahh, Christmas break. Two or three wonderful weeks during which you’re are expected to recover from four months of stress and social pressures by answering the same “how’s school going” questions from estranged, blank-faced aunts and uncles over eggnog and roast beast. It’s too cold, or not cold enough, and your mom keeps ordering gifts from Amazon even though she knows you’re morally opposed to Jeff Bezos and his bald muppet face (See Figure 1).
Figure 1
Figure 2
The holidays can be tough. There is, however, one thing to look forward to during the break, regardless of your religious convictions or feelings toward the Christmas consumerist trap. New Years. A new decade is upon us, the roaring twenties. It could crack out to be the best ten years of your entire life, or it could be a total slog, but there’s one thing you can be sure of: you made it through the 2010s! Gone are the awkward stages of early Instagram, the “YOLO” days, those furry animal hat things (See Figure 2). Were furries invented in the 2010s? I feel like furries were invented in the 2010s.
Whether you place value on the earth’s arbitrarily observed trip around the sun or not, the new year is a great opportunity to think ahead to the next year and, in this case, the next decade. Along with drinking champagne and watching fireworks, goal-setting is a great New Years activity. And I have tips!
1. Start small
It may seem daunting or futile, but setting goals or making commitments for the coming year can help you start 2020 with a positive mindset. That doesn’t mean you have to buy a gym membership or quit smoking cold turkey on January 1st. In fact, if it’s your first-time goal-setting, make them easy! For my first New Years goal-setting sesh, I said I was going to read twelve books that year, because I knew in the last year I’d read about thirty, and I wanted to set a low bar to avoid disappointing myself. Failing sucks, and it’s discouraging, so try having some goals you know you’re going to accomplish. “Pass my classes” can be a goal. Or “Finally watch Casablanca so my film friends will stop calling me uncultured”. That one might be harder than you think. If you think you’re going to get through it on a slow Sunday with your dog after a casual round of golf with the boys, you’re mistaken (See Figure 3).
Figure 3
2. Be specific
Last year one of my goals was “Find love”. I wish I was kidding, and it’s embarrassing to admit this to you, dear reader, but it’s a good example to get my point across. How am I supposed to know if I “found love”? What does that even mean? How do I measure that? A better goal would be “go on five dates” or something to that effect. “Flirt with one person at every social event”, maybe. “Create and maintain a Tinder account”. Love-related goals are dicey anyway you frame them, really. Still, you can swap “Get stronger” with “Go to the gym three times a week”, and “Be a better cook” with “Perfect my mom’s Borscht recipe (See Figure 4)”. I’m assuming you’re all Ukranian. Even if you aren’t, Borscht is good, and that one will definitely be on my list. You don’t have to be Ukranian to read this post, just so we’re clear. It’s beet soup.
Figure 4
3. Don’t plan out your whole life
Looking forward to the next decade, you’re either filled with paralyzing dread over the passage of time, or you’re filled with excitement for everything you think is going to happen over ten years.
Paralyzed with dread people, I get it. Growing up is terrifying, tomorrow is a sinister mystery and the world is on fire. But I promise if you make a list of things you’re going to do in 2020, or by 2030, it’s going to feel amazing to cross items off that list. Tomorrow isn’t as scary if you know that tomorrow you’re going to make Borscht.
Filled with excitement people, I know you run a tight ship (See Figure 5). You love goals, you love plans, you love Pinterest, for some reason. Just remember it’s healthy to have some variation. Sometimes we don’t meet our goals, and that’s okay. Sometimes things take a little longer, or we change our minds about what we want. The house, the car, the influencer Instagram (See Figure 6), may not happen for you as we reach middle age. That’s okay. If we keep striving to reach our goals, something good is bound to come out of it eventually.
Figure 5. This is what came up when I searched “tight ship” and you know what I agree
Figure 6
“The years start coming and they don’t stop coming” -Smashmouth
Note: According to WikiFur, the furry encyclopedia, furries originated in Germany 35,000 years ago with an anthropomorphic cat figurine.