What I've learned from 2011

This time of year always calls for reflection. Everyone always sits back and thinks about how the year has gone in general, in comparison to the one before, and the one to come. I can't sit here and say 2011 was the best year I've ever had because if I did, I'd be lieing. I can honestly say 2011 was probably one of the worst or atleast a close runner up. But everything is a learning experience so I learned from the good and the bad of 2011.

What I've learned from 2011

In the words of He's Just Not That Into You, "If he treats you like he doesn't give a shit. He genuinely doesn't give a shit. No exceptions." In true Michelle fashion, I wasted many-a-months on a guy or guys that had zero desire to be with me and I blindly let it continue. I can proudly say that a couple of months ago I put my foot down, said f*ck you, and never looked back. My life literally did get 10 times better once I got rid of the guys that were only bringing me down. I now don't waste my time with guys that don't show an interest right off the bat. Also, if a guy starts off telling me he isn't looking for anything serious, I instantly step back and don't invest more time into the situation than needed. If he wants to be only friends then that's exactly what he'll get. The last few months of 2011 went well once I started facing the facts when it comes to the opposite sex.

Real friends are really damn hard to find. I have mistaken "convenience friends" for real friends far too often. Shame on me. I can't give you an exact definition of what I feel a real friend is because it's something I quite frankly can't figure out how to put into words. What I do know is this... don't invest more into a "friendship" than the other person. Friendship, just like a heterosexual relationship, requires a give and a take. It's still somewhat of a partnership. If you are always the one reaching out to certain people or certain groups of people, you need to step back and evaluate whether these people are really your friends or are they actually more of acquaintances. I have slowly come to realize that the majority of my so-called "friends" actually fall more into the acquaintance category. You know them, they know you, you may hang out if it's convenient, but other than that--- nothing. There is nothing wrong with this. In the years to come, I plan to pay more attention to the people I invest my friendship energy into.

Having a major that you actually enjoy makes going to class a million times easier... and better. During core classes and my education courses I absolutely dreaded waking up in the morning. It was like pulling to teeth. Now that I'm in a major I thoroughly enjoy and find incredibly interesting, getting up for classes isn't as big of a hassle. I'm still not a morning person so naturally I still struggle to get up, but I look forward to going to class. I'm not saying I wake up with sheer excitement and skip my happy ass to campus, because I definitely don't. But I actually pay attention and ask questions and want to learn the information being put in front of me. If you find yourself absolutely despising sitting in class and you are actively in your major, you may be in the wrong one.

Just because you have $15 and liquor drinks are $2, doesn't mean you have to blow all your money. Just because someone buys shots and places one in front of you, doesn't mean you have to take it. What did I learn about my drinking habits in 2011? I drank entirely too damn much. The last few months of this semester, I did calm down enormously and I am very proud of myself. I knew my limit and I chose to push that limit and some times, exceed that limit. It's time to chill out. Am I going to stop drinking? No. But am I going to be smarter about my drinking decisions? Hell yes. Moderation is key.

I learned small things along the way here and there but those four are my greatest lessons of 2011. I welcome 2012 with open arms and hope that this will be an awesome year for me. I'm not making legit new years resolutions because, let's face it, none of us ever really are able to check anything off our list. I know what I want and need to improve on and that is what I will do.

How do you feel about your 2011? What lessons did you learn this year? What do you hope for yourself in 2012?