Today is December 28th and that means Christmas is over, New Years is only four days away and 2016 is almost over. I don't know about you but 2016 has been a roller coaster that I will be glad to get off of. There were good times of happiness and joy and bad times where there was sadness, grief and anxiety. The two semesters of college completed in this time, for me anyway, were challenging. They certainly tested me in ways I didn't know possible. But, they're completed and in the books.

Now, I look ahead to 2017. I think you should too. How can I do better? How can I be a better friend and sister in Christ to those around me? How can I be the best version of myself so everything else can fall into place? What are my goals for the future and how will I accomplish them? What do I need to do to accomplish all of these things? These questions and more I've thought about, prayed about and considered heavily. Here's what I want to do in 2017!

LOSE WEIGHT, MAKE BETTER EATING CHOICES & EXERCISE MORE

This one, in my opinion, is one that is common among people in this day and age. People often say that they want to or are going to lose weight and be healthier but there's not a lot of substance behind it. Well, I AM going to lose weight because I technically have to. This isn't the time and place to recount my medical history but I will say this: I'm not a normal, healthy individual. So, I'm changing that starting this new year. The Wellness Center on campus will be seeing a lot more of me next semester.

GO DEEPER IN MY RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST

This is another one of those New Year's resolutions that is tossed around a lot by many people. If I'm being honest, I know I haven't been doing what I should to keep my relationship with Christ going. I've utterly failed. I haven't read His Word as much and my quiet times seem to have dwindled off. No more! One thing I do know is that I cannot do this or anything else in this post without Him. Without Him, I am nothing. Without Him, I can't hope to do anything of worth on my own. He is my everything. My sweet Jesus. My savior. It's about time I started acting like it.

DO BETTER IN SCHOOL

This is also towards the top of the list of resolutions people make. For me, this encompasses a lot of things. Yes, I want to make better grades (this past semester was less than stellar and I have no one to blame but myself). But, I also need to have better study habits. I need to work smarter, not harder. I need to start considering and figuring out what exactly it is I want to do with my English degree when I finish. I get that question a lot and I don't really know an answer yet. Internships are important to start considering too. Writing for Odyssey the past almost 9 months can count for an internship but it's always good to have more than one under your belt.

KEEP UP MY BLOG AND MY SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE

Something a lot of individuals are doing these days is starting a blog. All of these could be for different reasons. Some people can even make a business out of it and make some serious money from them per year. I don't know where this blog will lead but I'd hope to turn it into a business one day. Also, having a successful blog is a great resume booster! If there's one thing a journalist has to have besides the ability to write captivating stories, it's a following on social media. Journalists can write whatever they want but if no one reads it and shares it how will content get around? Sharing content smartly is also a plus. I know followers and likes should not define me but it wouldn't hurt to have them for my possible future career.

These are some of the main goals I have for next year. Listing all of my goals would probably result in a several thousand word article and I don't want to do that. I hope that you've read this and considered your own goals for next year. Maybe you'll do some of the same things I am and maybe not. Either is okay. Just promise me this: Always be working to be the best version of yourself. Change is inevitable. But, it's up to you if you change positively or negatively.

This entire article orgininally appeared on my personal blog Seeking Jesus at kellysnyder2.wordpress.com. Few changes were made from the original!