Congratulations! You have almost made it through the very first month of a new decade. If you’ve made resolutions and already broke them, don’t worry. This year has just started and you can still find a way to grow. I believe that by making just a few small changes you can improve and be all around happier. Here is a list of five simple things you can do to make 2020 the best year yet!

1. Do a yearly review

Coming into a new year can be hard, especially because we, as humans, like to focus on the bad. Look at what you’ve done this past year and appreciate all of the accomplishments you’ve made. Look at all of the happy moments. It’s important to know what made the year great, but don’t forget to look at the mistakes you’ve made. Reflect on those mistakes and find a way to grow.  It’s important to realize that not everything is perfect, and that’s okay.

2. Be realistic

Dreaming is important to all teenagers’ lives, but if you want to see improvements in your life, you need to be realistic. As much as you may want something, it’s very likely you don’t really believe you can have it or need it. If you did, you would already have achieved it. We have to picture our dreams. If we can’t  do that, then maybe it’s for the best that we don’t have them. That being said, continue to dream!

3. Make a change

Is there a change you want to make this year? It can be for yourself, or it can change the community. You have the power to make the change you want to see. You can make a difference. Stand up for what you believe in. 

4. Plan & don’t procrastinate

Life in high school is hard. Between actual school, homework, a social life, and possibly a job it’s hard to make time for everything. It may seem like the hardest thing, but be sure you prioritize and don’t procrastinate. Plan your days out in the morning or your week. This will help you find time to get everything on your to-do list done.

5. Believe in yourself

Using these tips will definitely help make the year better, but the most important part of any new year is putting yourself first. When you are confident, anything is possible. You start to reach your goals, and you can recognize your accomplishments. When no one else believes in you, the most important person will, you.

“The most important thing that I’ve learned in the past few years is that I have to put the value I have for myself first,” sophomore Karlee Menges.