Leah McCann Smith | Writer & Editor

Question for the room: what are your 2018 goals? Have you started thinking about them yet? Believe it or not, we’re halfway through December, y’all; it’s not too early.

Today, my boyfriend texted me a picture of his goals, handwritten in his spiral notebook, and it got me thinking about my own. I’ve made New Year’s resolutions in the past… like you often hear, I didn’t live up to most of them (no more sugar!) after I’d reached day three. But I want this year to be different. Instead of New Year’s resolutions, I want to plan for my future (or at least for the first half of 2018…) seriously and consistently.

Here are mine:

1. Take time for me… in work, in my relationship, in my free time, in how I treat my body through health/diet/exercise. I’ve neglected myself and my well-being for the sake of someone/something else that I shouldn’t have prioritized, and I’m ready to change that.
2. Take time for others… in hobbies, volunteer opportunities, in little moments that can make a big difference. My sister knew I had a hard week, so she sent me a video of her playing a beautiful tune on the piano yesterday. She knew I needed solace, and she took the time out of her evening to do something that made me feel special.
3. Be money-savvy… and start freakin’ saving again. I’ve been terrible about little purchases this year (coffee, drug store runs, a bottle of wine here, a bottle of wine there), and in 2018 I want to be more mindful of how those little purchases add up. I will open an individual 401(k) and start contributing to a retirement fund again. Investing has always been a goal of mine, so who’s to say 2018 couldn’t be the year I sit down and learn how to work the stock market?
4. Learn a new skill… this one I got from my Brian—thanks for the inspiration, B! Some skills I’ve always wanted to pick up: cooking, podcasting, graphic design, and, believe it or not, simple sewing.

Take the time to write down your “resolutions,” and post them somewhere  public (i.e,. your fridge or your blog), so you can be accountable to them as soon as January 1 rolls around.