Looking Forward: Setting Goals for a Fulfilling Future

With 2018 in the rearview mirror, I’m looking ahead to the next twelve months. Last year flew by more quickly than any other. I felt like I blinked and it was over. So when I think about what I want to accomplish in the next year, I’m considering what I can do to slow that time down and make the most of it. Here’s what I came up with:

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Be more present.

This year, I’d like to practice mindfulness and give meditation a real try. More than that, I’d like to focus on being more present overall and ideally, stop worrying about the future.

Write more often.

I always tell myself to write more, but find it hard to hold myself accountable to the ambitious goals I usually set like finishing a novella, finishing a screenplay or completing NaNoWriMo. As the year goes on and the pressure to write something, anything hangs over me, I begin to panic.

This year, I’m paring that goal back a bit. I would simply be happy with spending slightly more time writing, be it blog posts, journal entries, dream journals, or fiction. I’m giving myself room to experiment with what works and what doesn’t.

Be kind to myself.

I tend to be my harshest critic. I need to cut that out and engage in a little self-care.

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None of these goals are easy to measure or check off a list. Normally, I love a concrete to-do list. I love adding small-win items to it, anticipating the feeling of accomplishment that’ll wash over me when I check that tiny box. However, I find that type of list doesn’t translate well to long-term goals.

Last year, I aimed to get to know myself better, develop more self-awareness, and find a job that better fit my skillset and lifestyle. I accomplished all of those to varying degrees and I ended the year feeling confident. I gave myself room to interpret those goals broadly and, due to the flexible nature, I found myself more willing to reach outside my comfort zone. I hoping the same holds true for 2019.