New Years Day is my favorite holiday. I enjoy spending time with family, being thankful, receiving gifts, and everything else that one can expect from the holiday season.
However, there is something uniquely magical about the start of a new year. It feels so fresh, hopeful, and exciting to know that you are standing at the beginning of a brand-new, 365 page book that YOU get to author, edit and publish.
For the past few days, I’ve been mulling over what I really want to create in my life during 2018. It’s so easy to say, “I’m going to lose 20 pounds, meet the love of my life, hit the lotto, and finally take a trip around the world”, then stare out the window dreamy-eyed, waiting for all of that to come to my doorstep.
It’s far more likely, however, that daydreaming won’t actually create the things that you want. So you end up living this year just as you’ve lived the last one, and the ones prior to that: all sorts of unfulfilled, frustrated and disappointed emotions bubble up.
I’d rather go beyond daydreaming and actually create what I want. I can’t sit still and be passive, because this year feels like the beginning of an amazing period of my life. And I want to be an active participant in it.
The whole world at my fingertips (photo courtesy of Dreamstime)
So here is my short list of goals. I’m intentionally keeping these short, because too many irons in the fire means none of them get hot. I’d rather have a couple of hot irons that a bunch of lukewarm ones.
- I want to publish some of my writing. I’ve been writing stories since I was 5 and I’ve completed several books. Now I just have to edit those and then publish. This is a test of my discipline and focus: it takes a lot for me to sit down and edit anything that I write. It’s time that I got it done so that my work can finally reach the people that will enjoy it.
- I want more travel than I’ve done for several years prior. I have at least two major trips lined up, and two more are strong possibilities. I need the adventure of going new places and having new experiences, so this is a necessity moreso than a luxury.
- I want to seriously dabble in a career in the art world. I love the arts and I’m feeling called to a career in either a museum or auction house. While I feel that I’m in a dream job already, I sense that my current career doesn’t have opportunities for certain enriching experiences. That’s why I want to try out an arts career, and see where that takes me.
I’m still toying around with the steps I want to take as I align with these goals. I don’t mind doing some sort of “efforting” but I don’t want to have a heavy-hand with this, either. I want this to be fun, energizing and memorable, and “overdoing” any particular actions will kill the fun vibe.
I’m employing a few different accountability partners to help keep me honest, as well as working out a schedule of when I anticipate completing certain milestones for my goals.
It’s a lot of upfront work, but it feels good to get clear.
Do you have any big goals for 2018? Let me know in the comments below! If you prefer that your goals stay private, just note it in the comment, and I’ll leave it unpublished. Just know that I read EACH and EVERY comment, so I’ll definitely see yours!
Until tomorrow . . .
Bronze Butterfly 