10 Reasons To Be Excited For 2015 If You’re Not Already
RIP 2014 (2014-2014)
A new year has started, and with the end of 2014 came a range of emotions among all of us. Some of us are super excited about the idea (and reality) of a new year and the opportunity to make a fresh start, or keep doing what you were doing if you were happy with that, and then there are those of us who are pretty indifferent about the fact that 2014 has ended and 2015 is underway. Well, for those of you who fall into the latter category, I’d like to make 10 arguments as to why you SHOULD be excited for 2015.
1. It’s a chance to make a new start.
I know, this is a super cliché reason to be excited for a new year, but that doesn’t mean it’s not perfectly valid. Think of 2015 as an opportunity to let go (or at least try hard to let go) of whatever went wrong in 2014, in your personal or professional life, and take with you whatever went right. A new year doesn’t mean that everything will go wonderfully, obviously, but it does mean that you have the chance to learn from the past, and make whatever changes you want to make. Be excited about that!
2. You can give past or new resolutions a go.
This reason is similar to #1, and probably the first one that comes to mind when you think of a new year. Personally, I think it’s a great reason to be excited for 2015 (and the start of every new year, for that matter). Sure, there are those who think new year’s resolutions are sort of dumb or others who make the argument that you don’t need the start of a new year to make certain changes or strive for something. I can’t argue with that, you don’t need the start of a new year to do those things. However, sometimes when setting goals or fixing your mind on making a change, it’s helpful to have any sort of new motivation. Why not let a change in year act as a catalyst for personal changes or new resolutions? New year’s resolutions can be fun, and, when taken seriously, pretty meaningful (especially if you follow through with them). So think of 2015 as motivation for revisiting past, possibly failed, resolutions, or giving it a go with new ones.
3. Better things could happen in the world.
There’s no denying that 2014 was a pretty eventful year, and certainly not in an exclusively positive sense. Between the Ebola virus outbreak, 3 separate plane tragedies, the suicide of the much respected and beloved actor Robin Williams, the choking and shooting of Eric Garner and Michael Brown and everything else we’ve heard about in the news, it’s safe to say that most of us are hoping for better things to come our way in 2015. Related to our wish that less tragic or negative events occur, it’s worth getting excited, or at least being hopeful, that the important discussions about racism, gender issues (the Jennifer Lawrence nude photos leak occurred in 2014, as did the much more positive introduction of Emma Watson’s #HeForShe campaign), and other relevant topics that resulted from events which occurred in 2014 will perhaps lead to some progress in those areas in 2015. In other words, it’s worth it to be optimistic and at least have some faith that positive changes might happen in our world, even if it sounds idealistic. 2014 was a very tough year in terms of everything that happened, but it’s possible to channel the emotions we’ve felt in a way that reflects a possibility for better things to come our way. 2015 brings with it that possibility, and there’s not much sense in doing anything except hoping for, and working towards, the best.
4. Exciting things could happen to YOU.
Need I say more? Who knows, 2015 could be the year you get a great promotion, land a great job, or start dating someone you’ve liked for a long time. I know that all sounds cliché, but all great things to have happened to us and people we know happened during one year or another (duh), so there’s no reason to think that 2015 won’t be a year when something great comes your way. Get excited.
5. You’re getting older
Not sure if this comes as a pleasant or unpleasant reminder, but it’s certainly a reminder of something inevitable: with every new year, we get a year older. That’s a pretty genius observation of mine, I know. In all seriousness, though, getting older often means getting a little wiser. Especially when it comes to us Gen Y-ers, every new year means that you have the potential to (and probably will) learn more about yourself, what you want to do, and the people with whom you want, or don’t want, to spend time. It’s great to become more aware of these things, and a new year will lead to more self-discovery, for those of us who are still figuring some things out. I don’t know about you, but I’m able to get excited about that.
6. A new year = new opportunities.
This is of course not a guarantee, but with each new year, we are often exposed to new opportunities. These could be in the form of many things, be it study abroad opportunities, opportunities related to our current career or job search, or something completely different. I can’t speak for everyone, but I’ve learned that you never really know where you will end up (if someone told me I’d end up teaching English in Thailand after finishing college, I’m not sure I would have believed them). You never know when you will stumble upon a certain opportunity about which you weren’t previously aware, and it’s exciting to think that 2015 could bring with it many such opportunities.
7. You’ll learn something valuable this year.
‘’You live and you learn” is a truth as old as time. It’s very likely, if not certain, that you’ll at least learn one valuable thing about your life or the people in it during 2015. You might become aware of a new “life hack,” master a new skill, or finally learn to stop obsessing about something you can’t control or that doesn’t, in the grand scheme of things, really matter. Whatever it may be, you’ll learn something of value in 2015, and learning new things is something we can, and should, all get pumped about.
8. There must be SOMETHING to look forward to in 2015.
2015 might not seem like it will be an especially eventful year for you. Maybe you’re not graduating just yet or you already graduated, you won’t be getting married or know anyone who will be getting married, or you just otherwise feel that nothing particularly exciting will happen. However, unless you are making an effort to be pessimistic, it’s hard to believe that there is literally nothing to look forward to in 2015. Even if there’s no event going on in your life that other people might consider noteworthy, it’s ok to think of something that you hadn’t previously considered exciting as exciting. Something fun or exciting will occur in 2015, whether you already know this or not. If it’s not already staring you in the face, find out what it might be.
9. Being excited about something is good for your health (and the health of those around you).
It’s no secret that when you give off positive energy, you will probably attract positive energy. Don’t think you’re too cool to get excited about the start of a new year. Think of it as something fun, with the potential to bring about great things, and you and the people around you will have a much better time. Moreover, if your excitement for the start of 2015 transitions into a general feeling of optimism throughout the year, there’s a much better chance that you’ll achieve what you set out to do, or follow through with your resolutions. Yay for starting things off on a good note.
10. If you think about it, there’s no good reason to NOT be excited for 2015.
If there’s a good argument for not looking forward to 2015, I haven’t heard it yet. There’s really no use in being pessimistic about what this year will bring, or what will happen in our world, or personal lives. Not to belittle the wonderful thing that is wine, but when the clock struck midnight on New Year’s Eve, it marked much more to look forward to than another glass of chardonnay: we can look forward to new memories, experiences, and changes. Happy New Year, everyone.