Student Blog: Why I’m Choosing Progress Over Reinvention

Coming back to school after a long holiday break can be really intimidating; new year, new classes, new expectations. I’ve always had a “New year, new me!” mindset and set big goals for myself each year. The truth is...I lost a lot of those goals along the way. Creating these big, general goals for myself wasn’t working, and I found myself feeling like I had failed when I couldn't achieve them. In the reflection I’ve done recently with this upcoming year, I’ve realized that I don't need to completely reinvent myself to feel successful. What I do need are goals I can show up for consistently, and not ones that just look good on paper.

Last semester, I noticed that I felt like I was always in school, even on my days off. Even in a big city, I felt like I was stuck in this bubble; doing the same things, seeing the same people, going to the same places. This constant cycle was starting to drain me, and I realized that a change of scenery could be just what I needed to take time away from my school life. I’m extremely lucky to be living in such a beautiful city, and I decided it’s time to start taking advantage of that in the new year. My friends and I set a goal to try to get to a new place in Boston once every two weeks — whether that's a new coffee shop, a part of the city we haven't been to, or even just a fun activity! With this, I’m able to take some time away from the school bubble and do something for myself that lets me have fun and explore the beautiful city of Boston.

I’ve also been trying to set more attainable goals for myself this year, both in an artistic and personal sense. Dance is something I’m always looking to improve in, and I’ve found that progress in that can be hard to measure. I used to set a goal for myself and say, “I’m going to get better at dance this year,” but I didn’t really have a plan for how to do it. Of course, I can push myself more in class and practice more outside of class, but I realized that I wasn’t holding myself to those goals, nor did I plan things out accordingly. At my program, I’m super lucky to have access to a variety of dance classes, and I decided it was time to take advantage of that more. I had some extra time this semester and was able to fit in additional dance classes. Now, with extra dance classes added in, I’m so excited to dig deeper into my dance training and really hone in on it during the Spring semester.

When thinking about my personal self-care goals, I wanted to focus on what I can do to set myself up for success. Getting some time off has been pivotal for me, especially after a jam-packed semester. Letting my body rest and taking time off has definitely helped me start the semester off on the right foot. With a BFA Musical Theatre program specifically, it’s been vital for me to develop self-care practices that help me be a better version of myself and avoid burnout and exhaustion as much as possible. One thing I really want to hold myself to in this new year is moving away from last-minute things. Whether that be deadlines or even just getting out of bed in the morning, I’m trying to train myself to do things in a more timely manner. Doing assignments during the week so I have the weekends to myself and can enjoy things without feeling rushed or stressed is something else I’d really love to implement. Another goal of mine is to get out of bed earlier in the morning so I can have more time to wake up, energize, and start my day off right. Setting these reachable goals for myself feels like a way to be kinder to myself while still challenging myself to grow.

At the end of the day, it’s not about becoming a totally new person for me. It’s about showing up for myself in ways that actually matter. Whether that’s taking more classes or organizing my time more efficiently, I want growth to feel tangible instead of overwhelming. I’m excited to see how these small steps shape my semester, my artistry, and my life in this new year ahead!