2018: Let’s Make This Year Ours!

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It’s an arbitrary fresh start for the new year.

I do like this time of year though. I like taking the opportunity to realign my goals and think about what I want to do this year.

Here’s some of the things I’m hoping to do next year. Creative things are not remotely set in stone, as a lot of what I work on will depend on factors that I can’t control. I tweeted my goals the other day, but there’s something about putting it in a blog post to make it feel more official.

Physical health: Weight lift 2 or 3 times a week. I have a gym buddy, P M Freestone, which makes it much more fun (and challenging). I also plan to keep up with running and maybe try something new and fun, like aerial. I’m also planning to cook at home more and eat more healthy, wholesome foods, and eat out less. I’m aiming to keep all things in moderation: not overdo it, and not underdo it. Consistency versus perfection.
Relating to that: Mental health. I’m aiming to take my meds at the same time every day, as I’m really bad at taking them in the morning one day, the evening the next, and so on. I’m also aiming to cut out social media before 1 pm and after 8 pm. I work best in the mornings, and social media is a distraction. In the evenings, I’d rather unwind by reading or watching things without constantly refreshing my phone. I also might treat myself to more massages, which is good for both physical and mental health. I also want to be better at scheduling actual days off.
Keep on trucking: This is my main goal for 2018. Creatively, I’m going to make sure I’m always working on something. I have a shortlist of projects I want to get on sooner than later. I know my process quite well now. I want to take more risks, try new things, be bolder.
Read 75 books. A little lower than last year, but I read a *lot* of student work and also beta read for friends, so this feels more achievable. I’ll keep to the same goals I post at the end of my monthly roundups.
Do more activism. Be better at calling or emailing reps. Go to marches. Don’t be silent.

And that’s what I’m aiming to do in 2018. What are you goals?