Let's be honest, 2020 absolutely sucked. From the pandemic, to all the civil unrest, people losing their jobs, and everything in between, 2020 was the worst for all of us.

I think all of us experienced a lot of bad in our lives in the past year. I know for me I have struggled with depression and anxiety. I have also struggled with the pandemic, how all of it is so unknown and something a lot of us have never experienced before. I've struggled to not see my friends all the time because of social distancing and Covid-19 rules. I've missed out on part of my college experience, especially not having a true football season and not being able to march at Beaver Stadium.

Not all of it was terribly bad though, at least for me. I got some big things achieved this year. For example, I am finally on my journey to loving myself, which has been 8 years in the making. I also became the Penn State Blue Band Vice President this December; which was a huge achievement for me personally. I got to the GPA I needed for my major, so I can officially apply for Public Relations this upcoming semester.

For me, I am so ready to leave 2020, and step into 2021. I am ready for a new year, with a new set of challenges. I am ready to accomplish more of my goals next year, and taking steps to becoming the best me I can.

Here are some of my goals for 2021.

I want to start taking my health seriously.

Throughout my life, I have always hated working out. I never wanted to do it, mostly because I was afraid of being judged by others at the gym. I refused to go for so long, but I am turning this bad habit around. I want to start by just taking walks every morning to start off my day right. Then I want to start doing more intense workouts in my apartment using my FabFitFun subscription that has workout videos.

I also want to start cooking healthier and more filling foods. I know that I was not eating the best this past semester, and I know that when I eat better, I feel better. I just need to put the time and dedication to it, and I know I can achieve it.

I want to become more mindful.

I want to start to meditate everyday, to really be able to calm myself down and really take in everything around me. I've noticed that life moves by so fast, and I feel like I'm constantly missing it.

By me putting aside 10 minutes a day to meditate and be mindful, I know it will become a good habit to keep us, especially with all of the stress at school.

For anyone looking to get into mindfulness, I highly recommend the app Headspace, it's great for guided meditation and good sleeping habits, too!

I want to make time for the things I love.

This year has been crazy and hectic, especially since the school year when all of your classes are constantly stressing you out. I want to make more time to do the things I love. I love to play around and experiment with makeup, but I only did that twice this past semester.

I love to read interesting fiction books, but the only time I can ever read is when I'm at home on break. I love to facetime my friends, but I can tell I haven't done it enough.

I want to make time for these passions and loves, so I don't lose my interest or my love for them.

Let's make 2021 great together.

I know that we can do it, so why not?