As the year comes to a close, I’ve been doing a lot of reflecting on my plans and goals. It’s so easy for me to feel discouraged when I see the distance between where I am, and where I want to be. One downside to setting ambitious goals is that failure stings a little bit more. I haven’t done all that bad, but I would like to be further along on my journey than I am now. The possibility of being stuck in an unfavorable position scares me. It’s one of the reasons I work so hard on bettering myself and advancing my career.

I am starting my journey toward my bachelor’s degree later than most of my peers. Instead of heading straight to university after high school, I moved halfway across the country to stay with my family. Even after this initial move, my family relocated several more times, turning my planned ‘gap year’ into ‘gap years‘. I don’t regret my decision to stay with my family instead of living on a college campus, but not staying in one place for too long has definitely affected my aspiration of obtaining my four-year degree.

I have to constantly remind myself to not stress. Recently, I have been practicing speaking positive affirmations before I get started with my day. This has definitely aided me in controlling negative thoughts that would cause me to worry and/or become upset. Then, I remind myself to be grateful for what I do have. I do have my Associate’s degree, I do have a job, and I do have a family that loves me and supports me. When I start to think about how I am blessed, my situation doesn’t seem that bad after all.

I’ve come to the conclusion that even if I’m only making a small amount of progress, I’m going to be happy. Why? Because as long as I’m doing better than I was yesterday, I’m moving toward my goals. I once heard a quote in a movie, “It’s not a dead end if it took you somewhere you needed to go.” That’s how I want to look at my life. Everything doesn’t always go according to plan, but everything I experience gives me the opportunity to learn a valuable lesson. These lessons are equipping me for the career and life that I want, that I will have. Therefore, in every challenge, I can be grateful.

Gratefulness. That’s how I’m approaching 2023.