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2022 New Years Resolutions

Intentions for a better year

By Twenty Seven Lehngas Published 2 years ago 5 min read
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Dreamy idealist though I am, I have never seen the point of New Years Resolutions. Why delay following your goals until an arbitrary point in time just because it's rung in by fireworks and glittery heels?

This year, I turned 25, got engaged, had my thyroid gland removed, ended my engagement and then got a job as a waitress. Not quite the trajectory I'd envisioned as an ambitious politics student at the LSE, nor as a fairly traditional Pakistani girl. But life seldom accounts for such idiosyncrasies.

I'd like to blame the pandemic for my complete lack of direction, but the reality is that, as a dreamy idealist, I'm not a great goal setter. I've had a vague vision of what I wanted my life to look like, but hadn't paid much thought to how I'd get there. I just sort of thought that if I worked hard enough at uni and sent off enough applications it would happen.

Recently, a friend of my mother's sent her a message wishing me well, commending my drive and focus. The former compliment I can gratefully accept, but the latter I cannot. Though I have a strong work ethic and big ideas, I simply do not know which direction to focus my energy. So now, in my second academic year post-graduation, I've decided to set some tangible goals for my personal, financial and professional growth.

1. Post-thyroidectomy health

Before surgery, hyperthyroidism was wreaking havoc on my health. In fact, it wasn't until the post-surgery histopathology of the gland came back that I found out that I was housing cancer cells in my throat. But things aren't much easier when you remove an entire gland. The silver lining, though, is that I'm being forced to take my health more seriously.

The main thing I need to focus on is removing gluten from my diet. As a lifelong lover of cookies, this is far trickier for than people make it seem, especially as I don't have any apparent intolerance. However, in addition to benefitting thyroid health, going gluten-free has been suggested to improve gut heal as well as oral hygiene. Worth a shot, right?

2. Volunteering in South America

This has been a dream of mine since I was 17, and with every passing year I thought I'd gotten further away from this. But with age comes freedom from the shackles of societal expectations and, while I don't plan on shedding my Muslim identity at all, I've outgrown the idea that a sabbatical is only for undecided rich kids or earned after years of professional attainment. Maybe this will be the inspiration I need to finally embark on a fulfilling career journey. Maybe it'll be a fun and memorable trip. Or maybe I'll catch a bug-borne virus and wish I'd listened to my parents. Either way, I'll learn something.

3. Publish a weekly story on Vocal

Another long-standing dream of mine is to publish something (shocking, I'm sure). But rather than dedicate time to my craft, I tend to wait for inspiration to strike, which isn't conducive to such a pursuit as writing a novel. So the intention for 2022 is to publish something on vocal. Normally I wouldn't make my goal so public, but it's the best way to track my progress honestly and with some degree of accountability. I'm giving myself leeway to publish anything - a short story, an extract of what I hope to someday turn into a longer story, an op-ed, blog entry, poem....anything to flex the muscle. (As is evident from this piece, there is no requirement for standard of writing. Perfection is, as they say, the enemy of progress.)

4. Learn to invest

I loved working as a waitress: my boss was lovely, the chef was gorgeous (and showered me with free food) and my customers became asked for me by name. But at 25, I wish I was making a little more than minimum wage. Most of my friends are on their second or third promotion post-graduation. And I'm thrilled for them. I just wanna be thrilled for me, too.

So by learning to invest, I'm setting myself up for a little more financial security than my current career trajectory would imply. And covid-proofing part of my income.

5. Do a shoulder stand

This one's just for me. I've always thought it would be crazy cool to do a shoulder stand. It would also mean I have some upper body strength, which is a good thing for a single woman with a love of jam to have.

6. Get involved in my community

'Why are you wasting your personality on a law degree? You should be, like, a community coordinator!' When my super-extroverted law student friend said this to me, my super-introverted self was very confused. Was he trying to eliminate me as competition? Why would anybody who knew me think it was a good idea for me to work with people, much less co-ordinate them?

But after volunteering and working in hospitality, I'm beginning to see his point: I love hosting, welcoming, and generally helping people in little ways. I'm also finding that many of my friendships are entirely circumstantial, and I want to nurture new friendships with people who share my values if not my experiences. So my aim is to start a book club, a walking group and/or a food drive at my local mosque.

7. BE PRESENT

Probably the hardest thing for a daydreaming idealist to do, but also the most necessary. I find myself drifting off to a happy place of my own construction while working, with my family - even during prayer. This robs me of the opportunity to pursue career opportunities, develop my relationships, and check in with myself.

The opposite of dreaming is doing therefore, logically, I shall 'do' more: I'll begin each day with a prioritised to-do list, and brief myself on my goals each week. In said to-do list, I will include not-so-glamorous tasks like cleaning the cat litter and doing the laundry to centre myself and re-assert the fact that my productivity has value even if it isn't earning me ca$h mon£y. Capitalism can do one.

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About the Creator

Twenty Seven Lehngas

Always a bridesmaid - and now you can be too! For when the white wedding advice doesn't cut it, I'm here to help you give your girl the support she needs on her special day without breaking the bank or your boundaries.

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