#RelationshipGoals #FriendshipGoals #SquadGoals #BaeGoals #BootyGoals #Goals2016
We've seen it all, heard it all, read it all. We are obsessed with pitting ourselves against one another and forever pulling the short straw. In comparison, we can always do better. Live better. Love and be loved better. However, what's to say their's IS better? We have been told time and again that what's shared on social media is the best collated version of life, yet we all still find ourselves staring wistfully at the life of others, drawing inane comparisons on how much better off they are to us. We pine after stylishly coordinated couples or perfectly meme-worthy synchronised snaps, wistfully wishing it were us. We stalk Pinterest boards and subscribe to every retail newsletter in a bid to recreate a look that's so structurally perfect yet seemingly laissez-faire. Why?
#BaeWatch: With 2016 being a leap year, out of the abyss of Black Twitter rose the trending topic #MoveToBoys2016. The idea behind it being relatively self explanatory; females could approach their love interests and express their interest in pursuing a romantic relationship. Away with patriarchal social conventions apparently. Much debate circulated as to whether this was a desperate attempt or a movement to be welcomed as a means of female empowerment? Let's 'fess up to the truth that females jump on such trends because in 2016, the fact of the matter is, we still think we need to claim or be attached to a man to be valid in society. And by valid, I mean being recognised as successful, beautiful, worthy, etc. That's why we pine after couple images and celebrity unions, some of whom have clocked and are capitalising off society's obsession and deeming their unions, ministries. But thats a story for another day, all you Boaz hunters, your post is loading. In 2016, I challenge us to spend less time watching others live their lives and find their true loves, and instead, invest our time in cultivating meaningful and worthwhile relationships, both with ourselves and others.
Imperial Wharf, London
#BoutThatLife: ill-fitted coats are at an all time high in this generation. By that, I'm fondling (for want of a better term) with the adage of cutting one's coat according to size. Unfortunately for us, we are all the more aware of our neighbour's accomplishments, earnings capacity, holiday entitlement, allowance and experiences, personal taste...more so now, than ever before. As a result, we find ourselves pitting their lifestyle against ours, and drafting means of attaining their's on our budget. Some succeed, while others fail. Overdrafts, credit cards and lay-aways, all in the name of a perfectly curated lifestyle snapshot. I have heard first-hand individuals admit to falling into debt as a result of a holiday too many. Racks on racks of designer shoes that'll never grace anything but your immaculate IKEA MALM shelves you displayed on instagram's #ShoesdayTuesday. Let go of your stake in someone else's life, and carve out a better means of living yours, truly.
#ZeroToHero: millennials' goals aren't aspirational, they are out of this world and unrealistic; pushing you beyond your capabilities. Not only that, but we aspire to these unattainable goals at insane timescales. Perseverance, hardwork and cultivating a good work ethic has been replaced with instafamous broads. Shameless self-promotion is now idolised, rather than berated, as it once was in the past. I remember watching a YouTuber squeal everytime she shamelessly plugged her content, deeming it gratuitous. Now, its the norm. Admittedly, its only human to stare at a feed's inspiring image and yearn for whatever is being displayed, but that is by no means synonymous with my life's aspirations and ultimate desires. Growing accustomed to instant gratification, we are grooming a generation, impatient for success, yet hungry for perfection. Obsessing over the fortune of others, and cultivating a culture that accepts that as the norm, only serves to breed deeper self-battles with inferiority.
Its time we redefined goals as a desired result an individual envisions and commits to achieving within a realistic timescale. Lets seek to erase its negative connotation with envy, the buyer's remorse of spending beyond our means, or guilt of counterpart backbiting. Leave virtual hero-worshipping in 2015, along with all the other bad habits we sought to shed. Lets reclaim self-development, especially in this brand new resolutions season. Lets rebrand what was lost, and renew our zeal to be and do better this new year.
"The new year stands before us, like a chapter in a book, waiting to be written. We can help write that story by setting goals" Melody Beattie
