A new decade is upon us, and I for one am happy to have closed the chapter that was 2019. With that being said, I am incredibly excited to see what the new year has in store. Though I am not a fan of making strict resolutions, I do have a few goals in mind that I am hoping to accomplish this year - as I say every year. I find that my goals tend to be practical and often within reach, yet I noticed in 2019 that I started to lack motivation in my will to achieve them. This time around, I plan to incorporate more reasonable approaches in finding ways to stay motivated.

1. Get a proper amount of sleep

If I learned anything about myself last year, it is that I do not get the proper amount of sleep on a regular basis. In the life of a college student, my schedule is hectic (to put it lightly), and usually one of the things that tends to suffer most is my sleep schedule. I tend to wake up feeling lethargic and constantly tired, and that has truly gotten in the way of maintaining motivation. Though last year's morale was low, I plan to make an effort to get at least 7 hours of sleep each night.

Take breaks from social media

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Ever since Apple began showing me my weekly average of screen time, it really put into perspective how much time I spend on my phone - and how much time I spend being disconnected from everything that is right in front of me. This year, I hope to take more of those much needed breaks from social media in order to maintain my focus on my goals, as well as form greater connections with the things that bring me happiness offline.

3. Meal prepping

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In addition to the things that suffered in 2019, one was surely my diet. When I was constantly busy, I often felt that I did not have the time to cook properly or eat healthy, sufficient meals on a regular basis. This year, I am going to make an effort to grocery shop regularly and meal prep on Sunday's so that I am well equipped with healthy meals to eat at home or on the go. By doing so, I hope to fuel my body with the energy it needs to help me maintain my focus and motivation.

Though these are all very reasonable tips for staying motivated in 2020, the true test of actually engaging with them is yet to come.