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Now that January is in full swing and we’ve had time to pack away the Christmas tree and start making our way back into a routine, it’s time to hit the reset button and re-evaluate what it is we want from our lives and how we will go about achieving the life we want to be living.  When I was young, every January my mom would sit with me and teach me the importance of setting new goals for the year ahead.  To this day, it is something I do without fail every January.  I even write my goals in the very same “Goal Book” I did as a child.   (It’s actually quite nostalgic to see how far I’ve come over the years.)  Each year, I section out my goals into different categories, for example, (i) academic, (ii) health and fitness, (iii) financial, etc.  This makes them easily visible and gives me enough breathing room to cater for tweaks and changes that need to be made during the year ahead.  I like to go through my goals every couple of weeks to see whether I’m on track, evaluate my progress or, where something unexpected challenge has presented itself, to work around it so as not to miss out on achieving any of my goals.  This also allows me to maintain my focus and determination to hit all my targets.

I have drawn up my goals for 2018 in my “Goals Book” this year and as I was putting pen to paper I thought it would be a good idea to share some of them with you too.  Hopefully, this will inspire you to set some of your own goals for 2018 if you haven’t already and to make 2018 the very best year of your life.

1. Use my bullet journal

I’ve always looked at bullet journal pictures on Pinterest and I’ve watched a few YouTubers discuss the layout of their bullet journals but, to be honest, it always looked like way too much time spent on doodling.  This January, I found myself in a position without an organiser/planner/diary and this NEVER happens.  I am always extremely reliant on my diary in mapping out my day to day life and navigating to-do lists.  I was, however, gifted with a beautiful glitter journal for Christmas (seen in my “What I got for Christmas” video) and I thought I’d actually make 2018 the year I try out a bullet journal.  I have a really good feeling about this because I’m not limited in terms of space as you are in a traditional planner so I could even include minutes of my meetings in my bullet journal along with all the other details of my work, social and blogging life.  Fantastic.  My first goal of 2018 is to keep up my bullet journal because I’ve seen so many beautifully detailed ones so I want to make sure I keep it up.

2. Take French classes

For those of you that have been reading my blog for a number of years, you may remember a time when I wrote my post in both English and French.  I studied French at school and took it as a first year university subject too.  When I was doing my Master’s degree, I continued with lessons, however, since I started working I have not had a single lesson and have barely uttered more than a few French words in the past couple years.  I’ve definitely become rusty so it’s time to brush up on my linguistic skills and sign up for a regular class.  I’m very excited about this!

3. Morning Gym Sessions

Last year I really enjoyed listening to a couple of Tony Robbins’ motivational talks.  One thing he mentioned that has resonated with me is his “Power Hour”.  An hour every morning where you can plug in your headphones and drown out all the noise (read: stress) in your life and simply take the hour to work up a good sweat, listen to your favourite music and be grateful to be able to move your body and make it strong and healthy.  It is honestly SO empowering.  My goal for 2018 is to make these a little more regular.  I’m hoping that I can make my Power Hour happen on average 3 times per week.  They are so good for my mind as well as my body that it’s so worth missing an extra hour of sleep for this incredible mood booster.

4. Read 10 Books

Last year I made it my goal to read 10 books throughout the year.  I often think that people living elsewhere in the world with the luxury of using public transport have more time to learn.  While I spend at least an hour driving per day, someone with different transport realities may have the opportunity to read a number of books per year in the commute to and from work alone.  With that realisation, I subscribed to audible and now make sure I listen to something educational every day.  I also find that my favourite way to wind down in the evenings is to unplug from all digital devices and social media and enjoy a good book.  I may only read five pages before falling asleep but I fall asleep easily and peacefully without worrying about the stress of tomorrow if I do so.

5. Travel South Africa

I have definitely been lucky enough to travel a decent portion of the globe which is something I’m truly grateful for on a daily basis.  I have no desire to leave this earth until I’ve left no stone unturned.  While most of my travels have been international, I’m quite ashamed to admit that I haven’t travelled half as widely in South Africa as I have most other countries I’ve visited.  This year, I definitely want to travel more domestically.  I’ve put Knysna high on my agenda for 2018.  Thereafter, I’m hoping to make use of as many long weekends as I possibly can throughout the year to venture into different parts of SA.

I hope that my goals for 2018 have inspired you to plot a few goals of your own into your very own “Goal Book”, or even to start one if you haven’t already.  There is honestly little more satisfying than sitting with a pen at the end of the year to tick off every goal you met at the end of each year.  It is so rewarding and it is amazing how much you can grow as a person as you do so.  Do you keep a “Goal Book”?  Let me know in the comment section below.  I’d love to hear from you!