I sit here thinking about the New Year ahead with much anticipation and mixed feelings. I’m excited for all the positive things to come this year (who isn’t!), but I know that all positive moments are only worth having if they can be recognized as such, in relation to more difficult moments. In 2013, I faced the aftermath of a difficult breakup, a move back home with my parents, the start of a new job, and a glimpse at what love could be. Some of these experiences were easier to handle than others, but it’s the time I spent with the friends and family I care for dearly that made all of it more than bearable.

I’m not one to make resolutions. However, I thought it couldn’t hurt to reflect upon my dreams and translate them into steps toward achieving them so that I have more positive moments to look forward to. Here’s what I came up with:

1)      Find a job that I won’t mind waking up at 5:30am to go to. Sometimes sacrifices need to be made when you’re a young professional, but I strongly believe that if you can’t be happy with your work, you’ll be missing out on that sense of achievement you strive for.

2)      Be happier with the person I am. I always put my close friends and family before myself. The unfortunate part is that I don’t get the chance to appreciate myself. I would like to learn how to love myself without the approval of others, or at least to hit my stride in achieving this over time.

3)      Stop looking for love in all the wrong places. Just because you have history with someone and they understand things about you that strangers don’t, doesn’t mean that they are the better choice for a potential partner. What matters most is the effort that you and the other individual are putting into building a strong bond. If you’re afraid of looking like a fool, you stand no chance from the beginning.

It’s hard for me to say goodbye to 2013 because it was the best year of my life, at least thus far. I became the individual I aspired to be, while staying true to my personal philosophies. But, I move forward into 2014 knowing I can make this year even better than the last. I’m still the same person with the same dreams; I’ve just learned that achieving them can’t be put into common and unrealistic resolutions. Work and school have taught me over the years that planning and staying organized go a long way. This year, I’m going to leave all the important things in life, like love, to recognizing serendipitous moments that make me the happy person I already am.