As I struggle to get another ten minutes on the treadmill, I remember how pointless my last cigarette was. Or maybe if I had skipped the last round of shots last night, maybe I could go lift weights after that. At least I'm at the gym and you have to applaud yourself in small steps, right? Looking back at my life a year ago, I have to say that studying vocabulary words for anthropology or writing essays on the possible origins of the World War were not activities I was motivated to participate in. After seeing my friends begin to achieve their dreams, I understand that action is the only cause of change. In every aspect of my life, there have always been ideas that were never realized and it's strictly my fault. In the next year, I plan to finish my bachelor's degree, adopt a healthier lifestyle, and begin my career in Chicago. Achieving a healthier lifestyle is one of those “easier said than done” tips. It's a complete domino effect with one error causing mild panic for the next steps. It's about adjusting a learned behavior and making the decision to not go out to socialize with my friends because I have school in the morning or an assignment to finish was a challenge at first. The reward of getting high grades and seeing the first rays of morning quickly changed my philosophy on the subject. For the first time in a long time, I was setting goals and achieving them. This inspired my diet to change. Preparing breakfast no longer seemed like a daunting task, which introduced some fresh produce into my eating habits. However, transforming takes more than eggs and apples. When I was younger, I was very active in sports, but over time, everything slipped away from me; "The waiter walks", as I like to call it, and lifts...... middle of paper...... do it already. I've been listening to the wiser voices of reason lately and I realize now that rushing things won't get you anywhere. Dedication and perseverance in myself and focus on my current goals instead of a single-minded obsession with those that are far away. I'm just getting started with this new framework and can't wait to see where it takes me! The convergence of these very general but positive ways of thinking and living has done nothing but great things in my life. I also cut out unpleasant and immoral people from my life, took up gardening, and saving money allowed me to take more vacations. Sure, there will be setbacks and dominoes will fall, but instead of giving up, I'm now starting to build the courage to say, "It's worth it to care enough about myself to get back up and start again." I can't wait to see where my adventures take me.