Photo Credit: Trust “Tru” Katsande, Unsplash
Our masthead’s goals for 2020
Sana Mohsin, Arts and Lifestyle Editor
With the new year (and new decade!) upon us, we asked some of The Mike‘s masthead members to tell us about their resolutions and how they plan on keeping them, as well as what they’re choosing to leave behind in 2019. Hopefully, this will inspire you to stick to your own resolutions this year!
Maria Kotob, The Mike Photographer
The saying, “New year, new me,” has already made its way to agenda covers and Instagram posts, but the real test to this new year will be how well I can actually achieve resolutions that have been placed since 2016. With the decade coming to an end, 2020 is basically calling out for change, and more importantly, an opportunity for change.
Personally, I have found myself in a recurring cycle where I make resolutions that sound wonderful but are almost never completed. Like in 2019, when I said that I would take up pilates, and yet here we are, still waiting for that time to arise. But alas, 2019 is the past, and now it’s time to focus on the present and near future.
This year, like every other, I hope for happiness and health. However, I’ve made it a serious point to focus on health. In terms of mental health, my goal is to find new creative outlets that will help me de-stress and avoid overthinking things. I no longer want to find myself in tough positions which are induced by my own thoughts that have been exaggerated time and time again. With that in mind, I also want to focus on my physical health. University life comes with side-effects, one of which is the change in lifestyle; a phenomenon that is evident in the first year, and is only bolstered in years after that. My goal is to learn to be more aware of what foods are entering my body, and what physical activity I’m doing in turn. Staying active and eating right sounds cliche, and almost redundant, but it bleeds into a positive lifestyle both mentally and physically.
You could say that this new year has one main theme: to do more. Do more of what I love, do more of my hobbies, do more in my academic career, and do more for myself. 2020 is not just a big year, but a significant start to a new decade, filled with laughs, memories, and more coffee.
Taylor Medeiros, Features Editor:
With the new year comes new courses, new opportunities, and new challenges. This year, I’m looking forward to starting new projects and enjoying events on and off campus. I’m looking forward to my classes and starting my last year of undergrad in the fall. I’m also looking toward (hopefully) applying to graduate studies.
My New Year’s resolution is to write more and do more leisurely reading. I had the same New Year’s resolution last year, and that didn’t really work out for me, so we are trying again this year! Further, I’d really like to be more environmentally friendly this year. I will be purchasing reusable sandwich bags, reusable produce bags, and reusable makeup wipes. I also plan to eat less meat and buy more sustainably. I have already started this, and it’s been great!
I had a lot of bad habits last year. I’m trying to leave behind wasteful spending, spending too much time on social media, and spending too much time on Netflix. I felt like I spent a lot of money last year eating out, so I’d like to start cooking at home more and buying more groceries. I spent a lot of time on Instagram and (by the end of the year) TikTok. This is where I’d like to spend more time leisurely reading or writing, as I mentioned above. This also goes for Netflix. I’d like to spend less time on Netflix and more time exploring Toronto or seeing my friends. Overall, I think it’s important that I budget my time better this year to increase productivity but also decrease my stress.
Sabrina Daniele, Managing Editor:
My goal for 2020 is to follow through with my New Year’s resolutions. What I am striving to accomplish in the new decade is to implement and enforce four new habits. My first goal would be to exercise at the gym more often. Staying physically fit this year is one of my main priorities — because when I look my best, I feel my best. I also enjoy fitness because it is a pastime for me where I can forget all the homework and assignments that I have and focus on my health. This resolution goes hand-in-hand with my second goal which is to eat healthier. That means eating more fruits and vegetables. These two resolutions would be a stepping stone to becoming healthier both inside and out.
My third goal is to focus more on my mental health by taking a digital detox more often. I strive to reduce the time I spend on social media and instead enjoy the outdoors more — unless I need to use my media platforms for work. In doing so, I can spend more quality time with my pug Fred! My final New Year’s resolution would be to learn to cook more yummy dishes. I would love to be more adventurous in what I eat, instead of making the same old things. This would enhance my overall experience with food, and may inspire others to do the same!
Isabela Villanoy, Associate Arts Editor:
I know “2021 me” will give a long sigh after reading this New Year’s resolution. I have a habit of unfulfilling my resolutions and procrastinating them to the last minute — a trait that I’m not very proud of and, believe it or not, has been a part of every New Year’s resolution. Instead of listing down a thousand goals, I believe narrowing down your resolution to one vision is more manageable and encompassing. It gives you room to make mistakes, take “the road less travelled by” and live spontaneously without being tied to a singular purpose or dream.
In 2020, I hope to be more courageous in my creative pursuits — whether it’s experimenting with a new skill, having the confidence to put my work out into the world, or being less afraid of public criticism. As the creative industry is constantly evolving, I hope that my courage will enable me to be more adaptable to the new technology and tools. The next decade will definitely introduce new modes of producing art and I hope that it’ll make me a better artist in my field. As a Pisces, I often use self-deprecation as a coping mechanism and compare myself with other people especially when I fail (and I fail… a lot) or when I stress about something uncontrollable. In 2020, I hope I will always strive to become the better version of my previous self, be more forgiving of myself, and finally share my work with an open mind. I know 2020 won’t be an easy journey, but I know it’s going to be a fun and memorable ride.
