The past several years, I have kicked January with the mindset of, "new year, new me," but this year will be different. This year I am putting my foot down to the thought of a "new me." In 2018, when I feel pressured to change or be something that I am not, I am saying, "no," because this year, I don't want a new me; for the first time in a long time, I am extremely content with who I have grown into, and I have 2017 to thank for that.

This has been a year of friendships, memories, disappointments, hurting, healing, learning, growing, and achieving. It has been a year of ups and downs, and I had so many truly life-altering moments and experiences. 2017 was by no means the easiest year of my life, but I believe that it has by far the most rewarding.

This year, I transitioned from a college freshman to a sophomore, I spent my summer unplugged from the world at camp, I got to travel to Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon, I moved into my own house I had new opportunities and roles come and go, and I have "made new friends and kept the old." It has been a really awesome year, and these are 14 lessons I have learned (some the hard way and some the fun way) and am taking with me into 2018.

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1. Nature is a necessity.

Studying in the Grove, playing soccer, running at Whirlpool, and hiking the Grand Canyon helped me realize that being outdoors brings me pure joy. Getting outside is always a good break away from the classroom, and the sun and breeze on my skin does wonders for my mentality. Nature tends to put things in perspective for me too by reminding me that we are all just a part of something bigger than ourselves.

2. People will let you down.

This is one of those things that we all know is true, but once it truly happens to us, our perspective is changed. It takes a lot for my trust to be built, and one time for it to broken. As hurtful as it was to learn, I know I cannot count on everyone. Even sometimes our close friends unintentionally let us down - I let people down - it is human nature. But in these moments of anger and sadness, I learned to turn to the Lord. I realized that He is the only one we can count on time after time to never let us down.

3. There is more good out there than bad.

It is all about perception my friends. Is your glass half full or half empty? That is a question for you to ask yourself. It can become so easy to get caught up in negativity, but there is so much more light in this world than darkness. I have been trying to focus on the little things that make me happy, and they make a world of difference.

4. Get rid of everything toxic.

This is so much easier said than done, but it is so important. You deserve to be happy, this year, and if bad habits, mean boyfriends, selfish acquaintances, a dreadful major - whatever it may be for you - are getting in the way of that, it is time to let it go.

5. In the morning, the sun will still rise.

At times, I get so wrapped up in situations, and have to remind myself that it is not the end of the world and that, "this too shall pass." I have learned the importance of taking a step back, reflecting on what truly matters, and going forward from there. The truth is: the sun will the still rise, the world will still turn on its axis, I will still have people that love me, and all will be okay.

6. Say 'yes' to the spontaneous.

When I look back over the year, the spontaneous decisions were the ones that shaped me the most over time. I made a last minute decision to apply for several things that I am so grateful I took a leap of faith on. It is the things that I never dreamed I would do that have made me who I am today. This year be spontaneous: have a food fight in the kitchen with your roommates, go sunset chasing, hula hoop on your roof, jump in the car for an impromptu road trip. These are the only years many of us have to do silly things like this, and they make the best memories.

7. Do not deprive yourself.

Whether it is satisfying your sweet tooth every once in a while, taking a study break to catch up with a friend, or treating yo self to a manicure, it is important that you take the time to reward yourself. So go on the ice cream run - compensate by getting small. Take the study break - just set a time limit for when you will return. Depriving yourself completely of what you really want or need is not loving yourself.

8. We are never too far from grace.

Grace means being given something we do not deserve, and that is the beautiful thing about my faith. No matter what I have said or done, the Lord is waiting with open arms for my return to him. The coolest part is that He does this for each of us. I have grown up hearing this in church, but it was not until this year that I really got to experience the redemption of God's love for myself.

9. It is ok not to be ok.

This is probably the hardest lesson I have learned all year. I am prideful, stubborn, and being vulnerable with others does not come easy for me. During the times where things were not going well for me, I simply brushed it off and pretended all was fine. Even when I was hurting and in need of guidance, I still tried to play it off. Lucky for me, I have some incredible people in my life who know me as well as I know myself and taught me that it is completely okay not to always be okay - you just cannot go through your trials alone.

10. Love one another.

Our world, country, and communities need love right now more than ever. I have watched people be venomous towards each other this year. We see it in politics, between opposing fans, and especially on social media. This year, tell more people you appreciate them, give a stranger a compliment, quit judging people you don't know, flash a smile to someone who looks downcast.

I have learned that some people do not reciprocate the love back, or at least not right away, and that can be disappointing. When this happens I have to remind myself, "Jesus still loves me even during my nastiest moods," so love the stubborn people anyways.

11. We grow through our failures.

I am a perfectionist, and I despise the thought of failure. From the time I was a little girl, I have always tried to avoid slip-ups of any kind. In fact - disappointing others and I is one of the things I fear most. I have realized though, that this is actually how I learn best. Each time I am faced with a "failure," or as I like to now say, "trial and error," it pushes me to do better.

I develop a new game plan, I learn what not to do a second time. If I fall down seven times, I am going to get up eight. Anyone who has ever accomplished something great in this world has had to fail first, so I am learning to see my bumps in the road as opportunities to grow.

12. Be intentional.

I had heard this said, but I never really experienced it until coming to college. This year I made friendships with people who are truly intentional with me. I learned just how beautiful being intentional is. Sitting down and asking someone their life story, what they believe in, about their family, things they love the most, etc, is so rewarding. It is incredible how trust is formed once we open up to each other and we know that someone genuinely cares. My intentional friendships are by far the ones I hold dearest to my heart.

13. Know what you find your worth in.

Is it your reputation? Grades? Looks? A significant other? Greek House? No matter what the answer is for you, it is important to remember that these things are fleeting. I have been guilty of putting my worth in many things, but especially in what others think or say about me. 2017 taught me: that is bull. We are more than how others perceive us, so I am learning to embrace those who love me as He does and just say "sayonara" to those who cannot do that.

14. Sometimes you need to be selfish.

I could not grasp the concept of this for the longest time in college. I wanted to say, "yes" to everything and be there for everyone, but it left me so burnt out. Yes, it is wonderful to be able to do a favor for someone, or go out and have fun, but you have to be in tune with yourself and know that you cannot say "yes" to every task and each late night. I am still learning to be self-aware and know when I feel overextended when I need a night in, and when it is time to put myself first. After all, if we aren't feeling up to our best selves, we probably are not going to be much help to others.

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Maybe you have had a rough year, and you are looking to change things up. You may be ready for to switch some of your lifestyle habits up, and that is quite alright. If this is you, by all means go for the "new year, new me" vibes. Make your game plans and resolutions and go for it!

But if you are like me: sick and tired of trying to change who you are year after year, then I encourage you to stop. Stop telling yourself you need to be better. Stop making New Years Resolutions that will crush you if you do not achieve them. Stop and reflect on what has happened this year, what lessons you have learned, and what you will be bringing with you into 2018.

Whatever your situation is, I hope that 2018 is your year - a year full of sweet friendships, fun nights out, belly laughs, loving deeply, and growing into whoever it is that you want to be. May 2018 be for challenging ourselves, learning something (well, many somethings) new, and may this be the year we learn to love ourselves unconditionally.