Hello!
I hadn't really thought about New Year's resolutions until just recently. When someone had asked me prior to New Year's what my New Year's resolutions were, my reply was "make straight A's." It sounds partly unoriginal, but the main reason my resolution stinks, for lack of a better descriptive word, is because that's essentially always my resolution in school: make straight A's or get as close as I can. So, when digging deeper--figuring out New Year's resolutions are sort of like figuring out what I'm doing for Lent-- I discovered there's a lot of things I would actually like to do this year. And writing them down and making a plan is the best way to keep myself accountable for them, right? Sort of like a checklist. A little bit better than just the average "New Year's Resolutions" or wanting to "lose ten pounds." More specific details can help make resolutions, or goals, more manageable-- but, on the other hand, too specific can make them impossible. So I am doing the goals by month: 12 months=12 resolutions.
January: Dress appropriately (every day).
No, no, I am not saying that I need to dress more modestly; I mean I need to dress more properly.
During school, I have to get up about 5am in order beat the traffic so I can be at school at about 8am for class. I generally have class all day won't get home until about 7 or 8pm. With early, long days, I normally get out of the bed, do basic mornings routines, make sure lunch and school supplies are ready, and get in the car to make the commute to school. Make up has slowly been weeded out of my school routine... and so has any outfit remotely close to "fashionable" or considered by even a little bit as "caring." You see, science labs require close toed shoes, which, with my student "brokeness" and the fact that I have to be on campus for so long periods of time, normally becomes some form of sneaker or tennis shoe. This year, I am determined to not continue to break a cardinal rule I have set for myself: Dress appropriately.
Now, this doesn't mean that I have been dressing anything other than modest, in fact, it probably means that by wearing a t-shirt and jeans, I am dressing really modestly. But "Dress appropriately" as a woman of Christ in this world means more than just "be modest" it means "be a representative." Therefore, if I am going anywhere that is the first image that is conjured up in a strangers mind when my hair is up, there is no make up on my face, I am wearing one of my favorite t-shirts (probably my blue "Italia" one from the 2010 World Cup), jeans are my [comfortable] pants of choice, and I am wearing my comfortable grey New Balances? It is simply that I probably just don't care. I walked about of the house not caring about my looks or my appearances (how I convey myself to others as a daughter of Christ), that I am maybe too tired (perhaps I'm going to be grumpy?), or had a bad day (in which I'm probably not a going to be too friendly). I firmly believe that how we put ourselves together for the world to see is important, for many reasons. When you go to a job interview, you are supposed to one up the typical dress requirements of the job in order to help you look professional. It's sort of the same thing in the real world. One up the typical dress requirements of walking in the real world: no more t-shirts and tennis shoes in public.
Needless to say, it was a wonderful thing it was Christmastime because I got a little extra money for Christmas (earnings from my job go straight in to savings for the future, Christmas in birthday money sometimes go in to savings, but it normally goes to a little something nice since I don't often go shopping). I went shopping and spent only $3 over my budget (major success). With it, I bought myself
- a new cardigan (love cardigans),
- two pairs of flats, a dress,
- one purple sweater,
- two other shirts,
- a new pair of pants,
- some aviators (yay! I have been wanting these for awhile),
- two 8x10 picture frames to start putting some things on the bare walls),
- and a new wallet.
The grand total: $153. Yay for deals! After all, when you are student in college, you do what you can to get the most for your money... more people should do this after college.
With this, as well as everything else I have in my closet, are going to make sure that I dress a little more appropriately when I go out and meet the world. Maybe this sounds silly, but my appearance is the first thing that people see about my personality and my character. So essentially, it is their first impression of me. I want it to be an impression that, hey, I do try, I do care about how I look because first impressions can make all the difference, because I have been blessed in my life, I should express confidence, and because being a woman in society is more effective when I don't look like a slob--when I am dressed appropriately. i.e. I am leaving the t-shirt at jeans for the lounging at home activities, no matter my excuse to the contrary.
So, what are you New Year's resolutions?
