By Piper Rutherford | Staff Writer
The Baylor Counseling Center, along with the Center for Academic Success and Engagement, is helping students set themselves up for success in 2024 by offering simple steps to achieving goals.
Christiana Owusu-Ankomah, assistant director for well-being initiatives, said she encourages students to set realistic, measurable goals.
“If you know yourself, and you know you’re probably not going to want to run a marathon, start with working out five days a week for 10 minutes at a time,” Owusu-Ankomah said. “You can always build on your resolutions.”
One example of a resolution for college students to consider is something related to a career goal.
Jonathon Echols, communications and media manager for the Career Center, said his office offers numerous resources, including career coaches for students seeking guidance in creating a resume, searching for internships or preparing for interviews.
“The easiest way for a student to access their career success professional assigned to them is by visiting their Baylor-specific profile on Handshake,” Echols said. “If they have not explored their Handshake account yet, they first need to fill out their profile, which includes information like their major, year of study, extracurricular activities, work and volunteer experience, as well as their passions or hobbies.”
As for seniors entering their last semester of college, Echols said to make an appointment as soon as possible with a career counselor.
“It is never too late to get that ball rolling,” Echols said. “We will also have a campuswide career day at the Hurd Center on Feb. 27 from 2 to 7 p.m. for those looking for extra assistance or career resources.”
However, Owusu-Ankomah said it is important not only to set goals for self-improvement but also to set goals that do not feel like a punishment.
“When thinking about new goals, understand what it is you enjoy doing,” Owusu-Ankomah said. “This allows you to form a positive mindset in which you further connect with what you love and care about.”
According to U.S. News, most New Year’s resolutions fail as a result of people being unable to determine their “why” for setting a new goal, thus losing sight of the motivation behind choosing it in the first place.
Owusu-Ankomah said she knows sticking with resolutions can be challenging, which is why she advocates for implementing accountability methods.
“This can be in the form of an accountability partner, journal or a timeline,” Owusu-Ankomah said. “All of these options help you check in with yourself along the way and see if you are making progress and completing what you set out to do.”
As for those who might become discouraged by a lack of results, Owusu-Ankomah also said that seeing a noticeable change–with any habit–takes at least 21 days.
If you are uncertain about where you want to make a change in your life, Owusu-Ankomah said, it is important to regularly take a step back from your life, so that you can assess different areas you may see as deficient or lacking.
“Your holistic person has lots of little pieces, which makes us who we are,” Owusu-Ankomah said. “Each of those small pieces play a big role in our overall health and well-being, so don’t neglect those areas, but invest more time in them.”
