It's (somehow) that time of year again, and in lieu of actually writing any of the numerous posts I've been telling myself to write, I'm going to put my resolutions up. I think posting them for all the world to see will make them easier for me to follow through on.

2016's going to be a crazy year for me. I'm going to turn 18, I'm (hopefully) going to university, and if that's the case I'm going to be moving across the Atlantic from my parents, doing entirely different things with my life and having to really be more of an adult. All of this makes me think that more than ever it's important I make resolutions I can actually stick with.

1. Develop a good work ethic: I've got a lot better at this the past year, but I've still got a long way to go. Ideally, I'm going to kick procrastination to the kerb before uni starts, but I want to at least develop a good method for studying for my IB exams in May. I get my work done, but I don't need any added stress right now, so not procrastinating would do wonders for me.
2. Be more thankful for my parents: My mum's had a really rough past year and has been so incredible in the face of everything, but I can't help that feel that with all the stress I've had through school I haven't thanked her enough for this. My older brother moved to the UK last August, and given that I'm going to be doing the same thing in September I want to cherish the last few months I've got living with my parents. My maternal grandmother isn't doing well right now, and my mum knows she's going to have to cope with that loss soon, but I want her to also know that I'm with her every step of the way just like she's been for me. This situation with my grandma made me realise just how much my mum sacrifices for me because she decided not to go on extra trips to London to take care of family matters so that she could help me cope with senior year. When she has gone to London, my dad has worked less time so that he could be home with me. I want these months before uni to be one massive thank you to both my parents.
3. Focus less on what could've been: I have an awful tendency of thinking about how my life could've been different if x hadn't happened. I think about it a lot in terms of when we moved from Paris to America. The reality is, though, that I'm really happy with where my life is right now. I've got an amazing bunch of friends, I'm at a great school and I've got a truly supportive family. I don't want to waste what's around me by thinking about what I could've had if an irreversible decision hadn't been made. It's time that I make the most of what I've got.
4. Be more self-confident: This has been a resolution for awhile now. I want to get to a point where I can look in the mirror and smile at what I see instead of dissecting and critiquing details. I'm not trying to become perfect, but I'm trying to embrace my imperfections.
5. Stop biting my nails! Similarly, this has been one of my resolutions for years. I've figured out what causes my nail-biting (stress and boredom) so in a way this is also a resolution to conquer those two problems. I'm sick of looking at my nails and thinking "ew", I want to be able to use the nail polishes I have. I do so well for a few months and then fall back into the habit, but I want to stop that relapse from happening.