I’ll be honest. I kind of hate new year’s resolutions. Not in the sense that people want to be better or do better. No, I hate the idea of putting grand expectations on ourselves that we will inevitably give up on 3 months in. So when it comes to make resolutions, I normally avoid them. Partly because I’m not all that patient so waiting until the new year to change doesn’t work for me. And partly because I think every day is a new day to start making changes. When it comes to building a healthy life, it’s lifestyle choices that require you to make decisions daily that make the difference.

But this year, I’ve decided to make some resolutions. Although I don’t really consider them resolutions. With all the reflecting on the past year, I’ve seen how much I’ve grown. I’ve looked at the areas I feel like I’ve made progress and built good habits in. And now I’m looking to see where maybe I can grow some more. So in the spirit of accountability and writing down my hopes for the next year, here’s a glimpse at my goals for 2018.

Have a Year of Yes

I didn’t quite finish the Shonda Rhimes audiobook* on this one but it’s inspired by her. And while I recently spoke about making your yes count, I don’t intend to say yes to everything under the sun. But I do want to be more open to things in the new year. I’m definitely a believer in your energy attracting things into your life. In the last year, I’ve found myself more closed off than I think I realized. I’ve seen the way fear has creeped into different areas of my life. So this year my hope is to be more open to things. I want to take that extra second before I immediately shut something down. Who knows what shenanigans this will get me in to. I’ll keep you posted.

Get On The Other Side Of The Camera

My friends in film and I always joke about preferring to be on our side of the camera. There’s just this instant self-consciousness that kicks in when you’re in front of the camera instead of being behind it. Again, it’s a bit of fear that’s creeped into my life. The mind is a powerful tool. So this year I want to try to overcome some of that fear. A little less overthinking and a bit more trying new things. And it starts with being less camera shy.

More Work Life Balance

This is my first official week back behind the screen after a bit of a mini break. I’d been planning to take Christmas week off for a while just to let myself breathe and do some backlog work. But taking a week off really just made me realize how much more creative I am when my life is balanced. For me, it means finding ways to schedule myself better. Prioritizing my to do lists and just getting things done. I don’t know that I’ll ever really be into a 9-5 life. However, I think having a weekend is probably a good start.

Also, please note that this is not me complaining about my job in any way. I love what I do and I’m so thankful for each of you who share in it. My goal is to simply balance my life as a caretaker, Savee & Savory and to just have a bit of me time.

Be More Financially Responsible

I’ve been self-employed officially for the last 4 years. And for a while, the plan was that I would end up in a union that would eventually give me access to a retirement plan and so on. But life has changed and that plan isn’t really the same. I’ve never been particularly good with my finances. So my goal this year is to educate myself and set up a plan of attack. Because not doing anything is still essentially doing something. And not doing anything isn’t working.

Be More Mindful

There’s a post coming in a few weeks on this but it’s a driving factor in my life currently. If I learned anything from reading Marie Kondo’s The Life Changing Magic Of Tidying Up*, it’s that we bring things into our lives for a reason. When we start to let go of things, we acknowledge the purpose they brought into our lives initially. And while I love a good purging of things session, I just want to be more mindful of my actions. Instead of just buying all the clothes or going down that thought rabbit hole, my resolution is to figure out more of the why behind it. My hope is that by taking that extra step to make more mindful choices, I’ll make better ones. A girl can dream, right?

Amazingly, there’s not a single resolution involving food or exercise is on the list. I think that’s a first. But my hope is this year will be filled with things that making me mentally strong along with physically strong. Healthy is a lifestyle that involves all areas. This year my resolutions just happen to be a bit more internal. What’s on your list for the year? I’d love to know! Leave me a comment below and tell me what your goals are for 2018.