One year, a few hair colors and styles and a plethora of dresses later, I am in the same position as last year, where I’ve got a million experiences and I am at a loss of resolutions to grace my new year. While I can say that I successfully followed through with my wish to wear more dresses in 2014, I do not know how I will carry more weight this upcoming year, as it will be detrimental to the rest of my life and the destiny of my career.

There is a lot of stigma on how New Year’s resolutions are not able to be followed because an individual does not need the excuse of a new year to change their tendencies. And while I believe this is justifiable, a new year is a wonderful excuse to change poor habits or develop new ones.

In lieu of the new year, and in honor of new beginnings, my goal for the year is to stay happy. Many factors are part of being happy as a whole, but personally, my factors may stand out. Primarily, eating fruits is an action that makes me extremely, up-the-wall-happy. I feel incomplete without my daily intake of fruit. Therefore, in order to stay happy, it is my goal this year to continue eating fruit daily.

I will be embarking on my journey to college in eight months, and although my happiness is at a high caliber in Las Vegas, I will need to carry this happiness when I move to Portland in September. Reading and sketching are two activities that have gone hand in hand in my life since I discovered my passion for art. In order to keep happy, I plan to continue sketching random elements of space and reading overly-poetic books about love. Being on my own and managing my life without my parents’ guidance has the possibility of being the reign which holds me back from being 100% happy.

Typically, resolutions are goals that people set based on activities they do not already engage in. Due to this, I plan on keeping my (barista) hands more hydrated throughout the year. In addition to that, I will make certain to wear my glasses more often, regardless of how insecure I feel when I wear them. On the bright side, I will be able to see while I am at school or work.

There really is not a specific antidote to being happy that could be written or depicted through the words of another person. I know the formulas that make me a happy human, and I believe each individual should owe it to themselves to create the perfect silver lining to the perfect new year.