Amanda's LifeSelf Improvement

My Goals for 2018

posted on January 2, 2018 | by Amanda Holstein

It’s always interesting looking back at the year behind you. It’s not often that we take the time to truly reflect, to take a step back and reevaluate before moving forward. We’re always thinking so much about the future that it’s nice to take a moment and think back on your year. For me, it allows me to appreciate my accomplishments, like buying my first home, living with my amazing boyfriend, and having my first nephew! Okay, well that one isn’t really my personal accomplishment, but it’s still amazing :). It also allows me to see what I struggled with this year and how I can improve myself and my quality of life in the new year.

So, without further ado, here are my 2018 goals:

Focus on Self Compassion

Man, oh man. That’s a big one. This is actually something I’ve discussed a lot with my therapist (yes, I see a therapist). I didn’t realize just how critical and judgmental I am of myself, even though it’s so easy for me to be compassionate towards others. And when I can support myself and be kind to myself, I notice a world of difference. It’s easier to make decisions, to listen to that inner voice inside, and to create the life that I want. In the end, you really only have yourself to lean on, so why not be a cheerleader instead of a critic? So, I promise in 2018 to make an effort to improve my compassion for myself.

Redefine what success means to me

Another big one! It’s easy to define success by your income or professional accomplishments. But it also drives me crazzzyyyyyy. I’m never satisfied with my success when I define it this way. I’m always reaching for more and forgetting about all the other important things in my life. So, first of all, I plan to celebrate more of my “small” successes throughout the year, whether that be in business or my personal life, and to truly appreciate them. I also hope to redefine my definition of the word “success” so that I can truly think of other things besides my career when I hear the words “success” or “successful”!

Keep a journal

I had a very interesting experience with journaling this year. When I was really struggling with my depression, my brain felt cloudy like it had too many thoughts and I couldn’t complete any of them. So I decided to grab a notebook, head to the beach, and just write. Whatever came into my head at the moment, I just put it on paper, knowing I was just going to throw it out after. No one was ever going to see it and I didn’t even have to look at it again if I didn’t want to. I guess the act of writing down each of my thoughts by hand forced me to actually finish my thoughts. Rather than my brain going a million miles an hour, I could focus on one thought at a time. I felt such clarity afterward! It’s not that I wrote out my thoughts and magically came up with a solution to being happy. It was just the clear-headedness I got out of the act of writing that helped SO much.

Do things I love

This sounds so simple, but it’s amazing how many things I tell people I love and how often I actually do them. For example, I grew up playing Soccer and it’s still my favorite way to work out. But the last time I actually played was probably over 3 years ago. Isn’t that sad?? Same with horse-back riding, painting, creating things with my hands, volunteering at dog shelters, and so much more. So, if there’s something I like, I plan to do it in 2018. And not just once, but often!

What are some of your goals for 2018??