5 New Year’s Resolutions For Nerds
How to make 2021 your most productive and nerdiest year yet.
Every year we all sit down for a period of mass delusion and work on our New Year’s Resolutions. Most of us will fail. Why? Because most of us are making New Year’s Resolutions that don’t even apply to us. Whoever needs to hear this: if you don’t like running, don’t make it your goal to be a runner this year. Just don’t. Please. Stop the madness.
So let’s talk, nerds. Do you want awesome results? Do you want to change your life forever in a bunch of positive ways that will make your therapist feel like they absolutely chose the right career? Are you looking to live a better and nerdier life to spit in the face of 2020 and show whatever cruel fates exist that you will not be taken down even if all of the midnight premieres and cons have been canceled? Good news. This list of resolutions is for you.
Learn Something That Will Get You Through The Apocalypse
After 2020, we can all agree that an apocalypse seems a lot more tangible than it did six years ago when we are all rolling our eyes because every game, movie, and book for like three years was about the world ending. Though we all hope 2021 is going to be better, we’ve also learned the value of being prepared.
In case 2020 was a prequel and not the end of the story, it’s time we all learn at least one apocalypse-friendly skill. I don’t care if you’re learning how to outrun zombies, picking up the second most common language in your area, or learning how to read prescription bottles to stop someone from dying of a basic infection, get it done. You can be the political science student that knows freakish amounts about medicine or the physics student who picks up woodworking to help rebuild society. Whatever your thing is, find it.
Pick Up That Mainstream Series That Everyone Has Seen But You
You know that series? The one that people gasp at when you shamefully admit you haven’t seen it? Yeah, whatever that series is, you need to check it out. It doesn’t matter if it’s not your thing. We don’t care if you don’t like pop culture. You’re stuck inside. Netflix is all we have. Just go check it out. You don’t even need to like it. Just watch it, weirdo.
All I’m saying is if I meet anyone who hasn’t watched Game of Thrones or Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter in 2022 and it is not for a reason related to something deeply triggering, I will start the apocalypse myself.
Make That Dumb Creative Thing You’re Hiding From
If someone introduced me to a nerd that wasn’t creative, I might actually die of shock. Us nerds are a creative bunch and pretty much every single one of us has something that we wish we could do. But, you probably can do yours. So, why aren’t you?
Look, whatever creative thing you desperately want to make but keeping telling yourself is dumb, just go do it. Seriously, a life spent wondering if it could’ve been cool is a waste of your time. Make something awesome. Try animation. Learn to paint. Write that disastrous piece of Hamilton fanfic for a gaggle of rabid followers on Wattpad. Who knows, you might accidentally make something awesome. And if you don’t, you’ll probably still have had a good time trying.
Read More Books For Fun
For hundreds of years, books have been a primary education source — but they are way more fun now. Books can teach us so much about the world (and not just the boring ones). Novels can be a wealth of entertainment and information.
You know what they are really great for? Learning social skills. If you are worried that you’re going to crawl back into the real world sounding like a caveman because of all that time spent in isolation, start reading some novels. In fact, let’s all agree to read stories with awesome dialogue so we all come back sounding like a bunch of quippy and charming bastards instead.
Make A Plan To Take Care of Your Nerd-Bod
This past year has been humbling and terrifying and a few other words that are not particularly pleasant, but it has also made us realize the importance of our health. Nerds are who they are because they know a lot about random things. In 2021, make your body one of those random things. We can’t invest more time into learning Dungeons & Dragons spells than we do our own health. Not like every day, at least.
Find a way to move more, stress less, and eat better. Healthy bodies make healthy minds — and we need someone to remember that one obscure Marvel character that appeared that one time or something, so take care of yourself, ya nerd.
