Hi Sarah,
It seems as though another year has gone by and I have not accomplished what I wanted to. I am still single, my GPA isn’t above a 3.5 and I am constantly questioning what I want to do with my life.
College is great. I love my friends, my clubs and in general the environment of Binghamton but this year was not what I wanted it to be.
How can I let go of those goals and instead be happy with what I have? I feel selfish feeling bad about myself but my confidence is too low to be content.
Thanks,
Glass Half Empty
Dear Glass Half Empty,
When I first read this, I thought I was reading a transcript between my friends and me. Every year, we come to school with new goals (that are usually the same as the previous year, but a little revised). We hear things about freshman or sophomore year, and those stereotypes become our goals, like the idea that freshman year is for hooking up but sophomore year is a time to settle down.
No. Like New Year’s resolutions, we easily lose sight of our goals until the end of the year comes around and we feel bad that none of that happened. While it’s nice to think that getting a boyfriend is as easy as wanting one, and figuring out what you want to do with your life is as easy as taking a BuzzFeed quiz, it’s not.
But, if you’ve met interesting people, improved your grades and explored different options that may help you in the long run, then you’ve accomplished your goals. You can’t go through life checking things off your to-do list because then it would be predictable and boring. You can be aware of what you want and keep those goals in the back of your mind when deciding what your next move is. And if you are saying you’re happy, I would like to believe you’ve subconsciously been referring to your goals.
Goals are great, but don’t be disappointed that you didn’t accomplish them. You’ve created and conquered an entirely different list of goals that you didn’t even know you wanted.
Best,
Sarah