New Year, New You?

It’s that time of the year again. As December draws to a close, and with that 2014, new year’s resolutions are at the forefront of many people’s minds. For most people the start of the new year is symbolic of the start of a new them; a fresh beginning, a time to make new goals and a time to forge better, healthier habits.

New plans to join the gym, lose the turkey tummy piled on over the festive season, cut back on alcohol or give up smoking once and for all, all seem so achievable on January 1^st. But, as the new year sets in, the novelty can quickly wear off.

Once the crimbo holidays are over and everything returns to normal high hopes of going for a run every morning before college or work become a challenge; eating healthier meals becomes difficult as hectic work schedules get in the way and the fear of trying something new suddenly sets in. Before you know it you’ve forgotten all about the promises you made to yourself at the beginning of the year. Life gets in the way and, once you miss one day of practicing your new year’s resolutions it can become increasingly difficult and daunting to keep the motivation up.

According to Time Magazine the most commonly broken new year’s resolutions include:

• Lose Weight and Get Fit
• Quit Smoking
• Learn Something New
• Eat Healthier and Diet
• Get Out of Debt and Save Money
• Spend More Time with Family
• Travel to New Places
• Be Less Stressed
• Volunteer
• Drink Less

Clearly keeping resolutions can be challenging so why not do the opposite? While some people view January as an opportunity to start afresh, others view it as a cash-strapped dull and dreary month. Committing yourself to giving up something you love can be hard at the best of times; never mind in January! For those struggling with low will-power, doing the opposite and making a to-do list is a positive alternative. Don’t deny yourself. Instead, plan ahead. Be proactive for 2015. Make a list of all the things you want to do (within reason!) and let 2015 be the year you do them.  

Forget the ‘New Year, New Me’ drama. Call me cynical but, just because it’s a new year, doesn’t automatically make you a ‘new you’. Whatever you decide to do, setting new resolutions or making a to-do list of all the things you want to achieve in the next year; none of them will happen unless you make them happen. A little bit of motivation can go a long way and only you can do it.

Happy New Year everyone! 

Limerick Voice comes to an end

And that’s a wrap!

The Limerick Voice has finally been put to bed. After several disagreements, numerous late nights and too many cups of coffee, the 2014 edition of The Limerick Voice is finished. And what a journey it’s been.

There have been highs and there have been lows but I am extremely proud of what we have achieved in this edition of the Limerick Voice. The dedication, talent and commitment shown by my classmates in both the BA and MA class, combined with the guidance and assistance from our lecturers, has to be commended and I feel honoured to work alongside such creative and talented people.

The experience of researching, investigating, interviewing, reporting, designing and publishing a newspaper has been invaluable. It is an experience no classroom or no lecturer could ever teach. I have gained experience I know will stand the test of time and build on making me a better journalist and for that I will be forever thankful.

My previous work placement in The Munster Express definitely helped me as I set out trying to make contacts, organise interviews and schedule photographs. The buzz of searching communities for stories, speaking to local people and visiting new places was all part and parcel of my Limerick Voice experience and one I enjoyed and benefited from very much. The thrill of putting pen to paper, (or perhaps keyboard to Microsoft Word as the case may be) and finally seeing my stories come alive on a page is a just reward for weeks of hard work.

Working as deputy news editor proved slightly more stressful than I had imagined but, in hindsight I am glad I accepted the role. Assigning stories, keeping track of different people’s articles, watching stories develop or fold, subbing copy and giving a helping hand has been an honour and an experience I know will make me a better journalist.

At times the production of The Limerick Voice was challenging and frustrating and, as with all group projects, there are always people who pull their weight more than others. This project (unfortunately) was no exception.

As is the nature of journalism there are times where you will work hard and put a significant amount of time into a story only to find out it has been cut. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed when I scanned through the newspaper last Thursday morning and failed to find one of my articles. It was a story I had assigned myself from the very beginning of the project and I was committed to getting it done. It took me weeks to get in touch with the source I needed to speak to and when I did (eventually) write up the article I felt it was a solid news story. To put time and work into an article and to then have it cast aside is disheartening but I am aware that this does happen in newsrooms.

As we neared the end of the Limerick Voice tensions were high and, at times, there was a lot of negativity both in the newsroom and at meetings. Although this is understandable I found it stressful and discouraging working in a negative environment. In saying that, no teamwork project would be complete without a couple of arguments. Coming out the other side of these disagreements is the main thing and, thankfully, we made it! Despite maybe wanting to throw the Mac out the window in frustration or scream at the top of my lungs when things went wrong, I wouldn’t have wanted to work with any other group of people. Although things seemed touch and go for a week or two, everything worked out perfectly in the end. As it always does. And we produced a pretty amazing paper too!

To next year’s class: I don’t envy you trying to top this edition of the Limerick Voice. It’ll be a challenge that’s for sure but a little bit of determination and a lot of hard work can go a long way. Best of luck!