Goals + Things I Want to Accomplish In 2018

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!! Hope your 2018 has already had an amazing beginning! I’ve had the best year in 2017 (read here) and cannot wait to see what  2018 has in store for me. New year = new beginnings! It also means setting new goals to accomplish and creating a list of things I want to do! Here is my complete list of my goals/things I want to accomplish in 2018:

 

Beginning to Journal

I buy a new agenda every single year in January so I can start fresh with my planning. Most of you know by know how much I like to stay organized with my to-do’s. For 2018, I wanted to change it up a bit and instead of buying a typical agenda, I want to start a bullet journal! For those who have never heard of bullet journaling before, the easiest explanation would be that it’s a way to create your own agenda. It can be in any journal of your choice. Essentially,  you get to make every single page to your personal liking. This journal not only serves the purpose of an agenda, but can also include anything else you want. You can include habit trackers or expense trackers, it can be a place to write write your personal thoughts, or it can be an ideas outlet. The possibilities are endless of what it can function as — just see it as your personal adult diary!

Personally, I want to incorporate it into my life as much as possible. In addition to serving as my agenda, I want to start writing down my thoughts and ideas. Writing has always been an outlet for me and nothing beats the feeling of paper to pen. This blog has been an awesome lil’ nook for me to do that, but I still want a place for my other ideas. It would be a great oppurtunity to tap more into my creative side this year. With this journal, I can practice my doodling and calligraphy, which people highly recommend doing! I’ve seen tons of other people’s online and they’re all so inspirational. I highly suggest you to pop on YouTube and search some up to watch. These journals can get super creative!

Going to the Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington D.C.

Going to the cherry blossom festival in D.C. has been on my bucket list for so long! Originally, I wanted to go last year, but due to exams and other responsibilities, it was impossible. But this upcoming spring, I am going to make it my mission to head there and see the amazing scene. I think it’s going to meet all of my expectations (formed while looking at other people’s photos)! Ideally, I want to make it into a small weekend getaway trip with a group of friends…so friends who are reading this, please let’s start planning! I’m counting on those who live in the D.C. to give me tips on when to come (yes, I’m talking to you Mark!). And for those who have been before, I would love to hear about your experience and to see more pics!

Drinking More Water

Instead of making a goal of working out more or eating healthier…which are both hard to keep up because I have no self-control, I think the goal of drinking more water will be better. 2018 will be the year that I stay hydrated! I’ve always had a bad habit of not drinking enough water – especially when I am busy – and my body pays the price! I remember there was a period I drank A LOT of water and my skin saw amazing results. Maybe 2018 will also be the year of improved skin! This results in cutting down on carbonated drinks, hoping to replace those cravings with water. I am a huge lover of San Pellegrino drinks which is so bad because of all the sugar, so this might be a lil’ tough to start out. I know it will be harder than simply adding more water to my diet soooo I will keep you all updated haha.

Focus on Inner Strength

2017 was a year of self-acceptance and building upon myself so I want 2018 to continue being a year of self-development. Specifically, I want to focus on building confidence and inner-strength. This has so much to do with mental health, which we all need to spend time on, and achieving real happiness. I never thought I wasn’t confident or didn’t have inner strength, but it’s more of an area I want to continue building upon. Inner strength can radiate out of you! I’ve met some amazing people who are always radiating their inner strength and confidence (real confidence) and it’s so inspiring to hear them speak about it. Most say it stems from self-love and letting go of the little things. So I’m going to take their advice and stop being so harsh on myself, letting go of the little things and focusing more on self-love. You know what they say about what’s on the inside that counts…so I’m hoping it will work!

Building Stronger Relationships

I developed the most meaningful friendships in 2017 and am so thankful for the wonderful people I have around me. So many relationships have deepened in that one year and I want to continue building upon those relationships in 2018. I get so much of my motivation/inspiration from everyone around me! I’ve also been so thankful for the new digital friendships I’ve made in 2017 with other fellow bloggers. The most supportive group of girls I’ve ever spoken with who all radiate positivity at every turn. I can’t wait to foster more of these relationships in the upcoming year. 2017 was also a year I made sure to head home as much as possible to see my family. It has been an awesome year of getting closer than we already were and making more memories.

I wrote in so many previous blog posts of how important it is to surround yourself with positive people to build you up. Positivity attracts positivity! I cut out some toxic relationships in 2017 and I’ve seen a drastic change of positivity in my life. Living by the life motto of not letting others drag you down or dictate how you feel or what you should do allows me to continue building healthy relationships. This is the year of continuing to deepen those relationships and filling 2018 with more love, support and advice.

Balancing When to Say Yes vs. No

As many of you know, the past school semester has been my hardest one yet. It mostly stemmed from saying “yes” way too often. I made a promise to myself that 2018 will be the year of perfecting the act of saying yes and no. My mom is always telling me that life is all about balancing and I’m going to put it into practice. This one will be a tough one because saying “no” is so hard! Just the mere thought of having to turn someone down for help or anything gives me mini panic attacks! I think it stems from my discomfort over confrontations so I am going to work on these areas this year. I’ve learned in 2017 to speak up more and actually tell people what’s on my mind. This is definitely something  I want to continue throughout 2018. I also want to say a lot more “yes’s” to adventures and fun. I want to make my last semester of college a great one without tipping the scale between responsibilities and adventures.

Finding & Loving a Career

I’m going to be a graduate this spring and want to find the ultimate dream job. Some people have told me that it’s impossible to score my dream job straight out of college, but I have faith! For me, loving a job means being in the right environment, surrounded with inspiring people and a nonstop learning curve. I am beginning the hunt and I am excited to see what I have in store! There are so many different things out there and I 100% believe there’s something I will definitely love. 2018 will be the year of further career development!

Plan Some Mini-Road Trips

I’m hoping that 2018 becomes the year of mini-road trips! I definitely want to see more cities in the east coast and to try out delicious food. The cities on top of my list are Boston, Philadelphia and some random little town in the south (that part is yet to be determined). This semester will be the perfect time to be more adventurous. Perhaps, there will be some graduation trip thrown in there somewhere to celebrate graduating, but that’s all still up in the air! The thought of letting go of responsibilities for a lil’ while and to just be in the moment sounds amazing.

Maintaining my GPA

Throughout my entire college career, I’ve been pretty good at maintaining my GPA so I want to continue it through 2018. It would be great to finish off another semester strong. Of course, I know this means more endless nights and weekends of hard work and studying, but I am ready for it! I always enter a new semester more refreshed and ready to conquer whatever comes my way. Even though I still have about 2.5 left before the start of the next semester, I’m already feeling awesome. I’m going to try my absolute hardest to make this semester an unforgettable one. With the combination of my other goals of not taking too much onto my plate, this goal will hopefully be a breeze!

Limited Technology Usage

I’m sure we all know someone who are constantly on their phones. At the later end of 2017, I began to be more conscious of my technology usage. In 2018, I want to continue being conscious of this. I even started going to bed without looking at my phone, and read a book instead. There are so many studies about the negative effects of being on our phone before bed, so I definitely want to start implementing this rule upon myself in a harsher way.

Even in normal day to day activities, I see people on the streets constantly on their phones, without any regards to what’s happening around them. And in a bustling city like NYC, that can be quite dangerous. I surpass all my fingers if I count the number of times people have bumped into me or walked out onto the street because they weren’t paying enough attention. I get so annoyed when I am out with friends who are constantly being on their phones or I see other people doing the same to their friends. It’s very disrespectful of other people’s times. Phones away during meal times is another rule I want to integrate.

This goal is definitely going to be hard since I have school, this blog and responding to messages, but it’s all about the balance. I’m hoping my disconnection with technology will push me to build stronger relationships with other people and enjoy life a lil’ more. I definitely want to use the extra time to indulge in more books, engage in deeper conversations and explore NYC further.

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These are my top goals/things I want to accomplish in 2018. Beginning every new year feels like starting a new journal, which is one of the best feelings in my opinion. Leave whatever is bothering you in 2017 and begin anew! Now is the time to take charge of anything you wish to accomplish — make this year your year. I know I am personally very excited for what’s to come. I would love to hear your personal goals/things you want to accomplish in 2018, so leave a message, shoot me a DM or email me!

Currently, I’m going to go back to celebrating my dad’s birthday today! Hoping you all have the most amazing day ever and able to come up with your own set of goals/things for 2018. It’s gonna be a phenomenal year! 🎊

until my next lil’ thought then!

jen❣️