COLUMN: Set accomplishable goals and take a leap of faith in 2020
Screw the New Year's resolutions.
Those can be daunting.
Instead, I think it's better to focus on manageable goals for 2020 and setting an action plan in place for achieving those marks.
My goals for the New Year include not cutting my new hairstyle, saving extra cash by learning to cook (finally) rather than always going out to eat, reading at least five books, working out three times per week and graduating before 2021 begins.
Those objectives are accomplishable because they are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-based – more helpful than a New Year's resolution that so often feels like a shot in the dark when you're trying to all of a sudden change an undesired trait.
I've also decided to step outside my comfort zone in the Central Michigan Life office.
When I came to Central Michigan as a freshman in 2017, I was an ambitious high school broadcaster that wanted a chance to become a reporter at the collegiate level. I made that happen, starting as a staff reporter covering the soccer team just two weeks into the semester.
I covered football for the second half of the 2017 season and the entirety of that dreadful 2018 campaign. By the second semester of my sophomore year, I was the assistant sports editor. As a junior, I was the sports editor.
And now, entering my senior year with only two semesters remaining, I've taken a leap of faith, gravitating away from sports to grow my newsroom skills.
The time for change is now, and I've been promoted to the managing editor position of the student newspaper.
Remember, sports have been my main focus for as long as I can remember. From playing sports, to watching, to broadcasting, to reporting, I've never wavered.
Taking over as the managing editor is a new experience for me, and I'm going to struggle, but I'll also learn new skills that will be of value to me for the rest of my life.
You'll still find me writing some sports features and staying involved when needed, but my primary focus is as the managing editor, working hand-in-hand with Dylan Goetz, our enthusiastic editor-in-chief.
Despite a bit of nervousness, I'm thrilled for what 2020 holds. I've set attainable goals and taken a leap of faith.
To me, that feels a lot better than a resolution.
Maybe a different mentality in the New Year will also help you.
