Wake up, eat breakfast, feed the dogs, brush my teeth, make my bed, work on homework, practice dance, shower, watch tv, feed the dogs, eat dinner, go to bed.

I don’t know about anyone else, but since Spring Break my days have looked the same. It’s monotonous, boring and maybe ending. Texas is slowly starting to open up, but we are in uncharted territory. It’s nice to think that things will open up, our lives will go back to the way they were before and we’ll live happily ever after. 

But is it really happily ever after if we go back to how it used to be?

What makes a happily ever after different from life before is change. Cinderella didn’t start her happily ever after until she met Prince Charming. Her life changed and her happily ever after began. Quarantine is presenting the opportunity for us to make those changes.

All over social media people are saying this time should be used to complete projects that were started but never finished or to start projects there was never time for. Doing those things is great, but for most people, the projects are long since done. In 30 years, when looking back on the COVID-19 quarantine, would you rather remember that you got a lot of projects done or you became a better person? For us to come out of this better than we came in, we need to make changes not to the things around us, but to ourselves.

We can start forming habits that will help us in the long run, such as planning the day out every morning. By planning out the day, it can make sure that everything that needs to be done is done. One simple habit results in a more productive day. A lifestyle change such as eating healthier or working out results in feeling better, feeling less tired and becoming healthier. 

Making changes such as these doesn’t guarantee a happily ever after, nothing does, at least as far as I know. However, making these changes can help us become more like the person we want to be and making the best out of a not-so-great time.