Fourth year is here. It’s no longer upon me. It has solemnly arrived, whether or not I was ready for it.
Are you ready for it? *Taylor Swift eerily plays in the background*
Through happenstance and terrible (but amazing) last minute decisions, I have put together a few goals for fourth year.
// Hang out with people on my list //
I know it’s weird to admit this but I have a list. As a friend who is AWFUL at responding to text messages in a timely manner, it’s been super helpful for me to have a list of friends and people I know I need to contact and get back to. Putting it on my to do list is actually motivating but also reminds me that it’s something I need to get to. On my list this year are some people I’ve known tangentially but haven’t really sat down to talk to and I’m just curious about them. I also have a separate list of professors who I’ve had and want to reconnect with or I’ve heard amazing things about.
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// Ask three people out //
I’m not one for romance, but I think this goal is one of the key goals for fourth year. It’s challenging and yet I have to embrace courage to complete this. Doing one person would be pretty difficult, but I figure three is just hard enough to get me moving. This is one that I’ll have to update you all on. I’m not one for being super bold but fourth year is passing by quickly and I don’t want any regrets. I don’t want to leave anything unsaid. I want to do all the things I’ve had in my heart to do. Even if they don’t go too well. Also, an inspiration for this comes from professor Kerry Cronin and her extra credit assignment. Additionally, my professor for Sociology of the Family also had the same advice – Ask them out. Dating culture in college is weird, and so it takes intentionality and boldness to ask someone out on a coffee or ice cream date, so that’s the goal.
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// Prayerfully discern my next step //
This one’s a faith based one out of my goals for fourth year. I definitely have made fun of the use of the words “prayerfully discern” or “prayerfully consider” but this year it’s important to me that I make time to sit down and pray intentionally about the future. Whether or not prayer yields the results I desire, I want to yield my desires to God and have my heart changed in the process. Often spiritual growth is slow, but it requires persistence. What Eugene Peterson calls a long obedience in the same direction is what I want to build my life on. Small steps towards God every day. I want to know without a shadow of a doubt that I invested time into vocational discernment so I don’t have any regrets about decisions around my career. I want peace and only peace at the end of this process – whatever the outcome.
// Do pushups without dying //
Don’t laugh at me. Maybe you’re a push up pro, and I am a lowly apprentice. That’s okay. All fitness levels are welcomed here. I definitely used to do a full blown pushup in high school. And the thing was I wasn’t even fit. I just kept practicing. Now I want to do push ups and get stronger and I’m struggling. In fact, I’m also struggling a little bit with my personal finance class. The things in life that are worth anything require a little bit of struggle. That said, I could definitely grow into my strength again and have some nice toned arms and solid core strength.
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// Run a mile straight through //
This goes along with the last one – except I’ve actually never run a mile straight through (at least not in my memory). The truer goal is one of stamina and endurance – just getting past the voice in my head that tells me to stop. It also is about learning to pace yourself, control your breathing, and learning to run correctly. While the obvious goal is to become more physically fit, I’m also challenging my mind and will be able to push past my own resistance to do greater things beyond working out.
// My thesis project //
This summer I said I was going to start a podcast. This summer I did not start a podcast. But on Monday, I met with my advisor and she advised me into taking on a thesis. So my thesis will be the podcast project I was supposed to do but never did. It’ll be nice to be held accountable and to hopefully create something that I can add onto my portfolio of work to show that I have some experience even if that experience isn’t perfect.
And here are my goals for fourth year!
Friends, I hope you’re doing well! As always, share anything with me that you’d like to in the comments below.
Stay safe and healthy!
Signing off,
Gigi
