18 Things I Want To Do In 2018

It’s the start of 2018: a new year and therefore the month in which, due to socially constructed values, we pressure ourselves to be ‘better’ and change who we are. I don’t necessarily think this mindset is productive or conducive to becoming the people we want to be – personally, I like to take this moment to reflect on what’s happened over the past 365 days and highlight bits from that which I’d like to carry over into the next year. I don’t just do this process in January though, I like to reflect most months, it just comes to the forefront of my mind when there’s such a strong culture around doing this at the start of the year.

So I thought I’d take this opportunity to share the things I’m looking to do more of in the coming year, especially as Lucy tagged me on Twitter to do something similar to this a few days ago. Her post is more about sports and other activities she wants to do in 2018 and is well worth a read, so go and have a look over there!

For now though, here’s my list of things I’d like to do in 2018:

Move more.

Exercise is something I neglected in 2017: I want to get into the habit of getting my muscles moving, whether that’s hiking up hills, swimming, cycling or yoga.

Take more photos.

I really love the power of photography, and I have done for years, but only recently started learning about it in any sort of detail.

Read more.

I want to reclaim my love for fiction and return to the days I got lost in stories from other worlds.

Keep blogging.

Blogging was the best hobby I started in 2017 and I have every intention to continue this writing journey into the new year.

Be patient.

When I’m anxious or stressed, I tend to be less patient with myself and others; I’d like to be more aware and in control of this.

Work hard on friendships.

I struggled with this in 2017, losing some close ties and being geographically far away from other close connections – this year I’m going to work hard to stay in contact and forge new friendships.

Stay organised.

This is the thing that helps me to maintain good mental health above everything else; it is something I could be a little more consistent with.

Reflect more.

The type of reflective writing I did last year made me realise the power of looking back at the positives and the negatives and working out how to move forward based on these.

Appreciate more.

This is kind of tied to the last point: having gratitude on a regular basis helps reinforce a positive mind set.

Be outside.

Both being in nature and spending time outside the house in general are great for my mental health. Walking around the local woodland areas, the beach and even the streets in town all count towards this.

Worry less.

Anxiety rules big chunks of my life, and I’m getting better at understanding how this happens and what helps me, but it’s definitely something I want to work on this year.

Speak out.

I care about a lot of things, but a combination of anxiety and introversion often stops me from voicing my opinion. This is partly why I started this blog, so I have a space to share my views in a way that doesn’t cause me anxiety.

Discuss more.

This relates to the previous point: I want to hear more opinions, I want to learn about things I’m currently ignorant about, and a great way to do this is through discussion.

Create.

Creating things, anything really, makes me happier, calmer and more productive. I want to try being a little more free with the things I make this year.

Focus.

I am becoming better at lessening procrastination in my life, but I could still do better at this.

Think about myself.

I’ve found that I often get tied up in other people’s problems, and trying to solve them. I would like 2018 to be a year in which I dedicate a little more thought space to myself.

Be spontaneous.

I did plenty of spontaneous things in 2016 when I was travelling, but I found this harder to incorporate into the monotony of work and study in 2017. I want to be able to be spontaneous in small ways in everyday life.

Be more present.

I spend a lot of time mulling over the future, and I’m not sure that the level at which I think about this is helpful. It would be nice to feel a little more present and enjoy what’s going on in the now.

Is there anything you’re working on in 2018?

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If you enjoyed this post, you may like:

Dear 2017 Me: An Open Letter

Reflecting on Gratitude

How I Consciously Chose Change in 2017

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