Every year, I make a huge deal about creating a list of resolutions for myself. I try to set multiple smaller goals for each task so I can check off parts of each one as the year goes on (for motivation), and then I prepare to look at my whole year in review when the time comes.
And then of course, at some point during the year, I switch notebooks and lose the list. “Why don’t you put it in your phone or on your laptop?” I hear you cry out. I don’t know. Because that would be too logical, I guess.
But one of my favourite bloggers, Lauren, posted on This Renegade Love about her year in review and how she fared with her 2018 goals… and it really got me thinking. Are we looking at this all wrong? (p.s. if you’re not following her, oh my god you’re MISSING OUT)
*jerry seinfeld voice* what’s the deal with New Year’s resolutions???
See, we set all these goals for ourselves in January, which is awesome. We start out the year with our intentions for the months ahead already set. Our minds are clear, we are FOCUSED and READY. YEEHAW. But like… you have no idea what the next 12 months have in store for you.
For instance, I set a goal for myself to reach 20k on my YouTube channel. How was I to know I’d have to shut it down and start over when the red pill community showed up at my virtual door? Now, I reached 1k on my new channel and it felt way more exciting than I can imagine 20k would have felt, because it came with knowing that I could start over and still bounce back.
I set a goal to go full time with my own creative projects this year. I had NO way of knowing I was going to get so sick and be unable to wake up most days, never mind put in extra hours to ~launch my career~. Now I’m just proud of myself for pushing my doctors to take me seriously and getting my list of diagnoses. Without that, I wouldn’t even be able to push this goal over to 2019. I’d probably like… idk, be dead?? Priorities!
And I did things along the way that I wouldn’t have even thought to make a resolution, but they’re the most important things looking back. I started going to therapy, which is the BEST decision I’ve ever made. Sadly, I cut some people out of my life, which still stings. I started learning how to set boundaries instead of letting everyone stomp all over me 24/7 because I thought their needs were more important than my own. I started welcoming new people into my life who are amazing and I’m so glad to know them. Plus, I started going out again. These things weren’t on my list, but they’re so much more important than getting the “swipe up” feature in Instagram.
Looking to make your own resolutions for next year? Still processing your resolutions for this year? Read Lauren’s post and follow the steps at the bottom of the article. It’s all about the mindset, baby!!
Next year, I’m making more wholesome goals, and I’m not going to kick myself for not completing all of them. I’ll be back here in a few weeks to share them with ya (gonna celebrate making it thru 2018 before I start planning another year). But in the spirit of looking back, I’ve posted a few of my fave achievements from 2018 below!
- I wrote not one, not two, but FOUR articles about Twenty One Pilots for Billboard this year. One for each video before the album, and one decoding the album itself.
- Jamie Oborne sent me a copy of The 1975’s album a week before its release, which is normal for most music journalists but is NOT normal for me, a person who yells on a blog. Still reeling from this one. I tried my best to sum up my thoughts in both a video and a blog post.
- I interviewed Trophy Eyes!! One of my favourite bands, and they made time to chat with me!!
- I went on my very first ~influencer trip~ to learn about investing with RBC and Notable Life. I met so many bloggers and influencers that I’ve been looking up to for years, and I got to meet them as an equal. It was so surreal.
- I visited California!! I’ve been saying I was going to go for years and something would always come up to wreck my plans. I finally went for a week and hung out with Taryn, visited the Dog Cafe, and hit the road with Michelle & The Glorious Sons for a few days!
- Again… therapy. Getting back in control of my own mind was huge for me. Our music scene is big on making people feel like their pain and darkness is what makes them creative, but oh my god don’t listen to that. You can be creative and also work on getting better.
What does your year in review look like? What are you most proud of from 2018?
Share it with us below!