Written by Moriah

As I get adjusted to the new semester schedule alongside work and personal stuff. I’ve been delaying tasks by watching my bookish side of YouTube. Full of media content going over their standard beginning of year reflections. From 2024 analytics of favorites, disappointments and anticipated releases of the new year. With the majority of the month being over, resolutions have already been made, completed, broken, or simply ignored. As for me, there are a few that I’m trying to keep a hold of. Starting with the hardest to follow: Read less.

Ever since I started tracking my reading back in 2019, it’s been roughly my only hobby outside of school and work. And while the tracking was for memory keeping, I’d silently raise my number goal every year simply to see how the stats looked. However it became way too easy to turn a hobby that used to bring me joy into an added stressor in my life. Which was beginning to be apparent as the monthly stats reflected how rough things were academically.

If I was worried about a paper/exam/grade, a book would be completed that same day. And when finals for the spring semester happened? I started watching Lego Ninjago from the start of the series, which alerts my friends of a mental health episode but that’s for another time.

Anyways at the end of the last year when I surpassed my goal and shared the news with friends and coworkers. I received a mixture of responses from confusion to concern. To be fair, I did have a bad year and was heavily leaning on escapism. But it was to the point where I was reading too much, removing the joy out of a hobby that used to be comforting. I’ve done that before with crocheting, only just now picking that back up again after a year of leaving projects unfinished.

Now this year I can’t just fully remove reading from my hobbies entirely (it is actually a part of my job) but instead listen to a friend’s suggestion of limiting my reading. And because that is already proving to be difficult, I’ve been replacing certain reading plans with other hobbies or goals that I’d like to accomplish this year.

With media, I want to watch more movies and shows that aren’t Lego Ninjago. And having recently added a cinema minor to my course load, I already have a few movies on my letterboxd account and plan on watching some with my long distance best friends through teleparty (Hi E & K) And maybe I can get started on the list of shows I tried to watch around Fall break last year.

I also really love crafting. Collages, journaling, crochet, cross stitch, and knitting! I just started a Valentines themed sweater but it will not be ready in time for the day itself, if it’s done before the end of the semester. I’ll definitely write an article about it. And writing is also something I want to do more.

Aside from what I do with Whim, there are a few story ideas that have been left to collect dust in my notes app. Working on more creative things actually helps my brain when it comes to more stressful events.

Not every goal needs to be restrictive. And this year I’m trying to make things as stress-free as possible, starting with the things in my control. May whatever goals you might have set up for 2025 also bring you some form of comfort. Have a good semester and I guess stay warm since the weather is terrifying.