Goals For The New Year

Looking back on 2016 I can’t help but notice how big of a year it was. Not only for the world, with a slew of questionable political decisions, terrorist attacks, celebrity (and gorilla) deaths and other earth shattering events that made us dread turning on the news each night, but for me personally as well.

Thankfully, my personal life wasn’t nearly as bad as the world at large. In fact, I had a pretty damn good year. Of course there was a few troubles and a few losses but overall it was a year of profound change for me. I turned 18, discovered the joys of having an active social life, got a boyfriend and some new friends, got my licence and a car, finished high school, got a job and received a university enter score I was happy with.

Listing it all out like that makes me sad that the year is ending but as I move out into the world and onto university, it is time to move my sights towards 2017 and everything I want to achieve in the next 365 days.

Get Back Into Blogging

This may seem obvious, with this blog post signifying a new beginning for Lots of Love, Shannon, my biggest aim of the year is dedicating more time to my little corner of the internet. Sadly it was pushed to the side in favour of my school work (and plenty of procrastination) but now that I have more free time I want to get back into my favourite hobby. At the moment, I don’t want to be fixed into any strict schedule as I get my sea legs back but eventually I will really nail down my organisation and get fully back on track.

Save, Save, Save

I have to admit, 2016 was not a good year for my bank account. I vow to change that over the coming months. There are so many more expensive items I want to invest in (namely, trips and a new car) but I can’t do that unless I have some cash in the bank. Since I’m still living at home and don’t have much I need to spend money on, I want to make sure I put 40% of each of my pay packets into my savings account each week.

Make an Effort

One of the things I learnt in 2016 was the value of friendship and how you have to make a real effort to stay close with the people you love. Having finished high school, now is the time when people begin to grow up and apart. While I know this is an inevitable part of life and I will (hopefully) make plenty of new friends at uni, I also plan on making a real effort to stay in contact with those who mean the most to me. Be that a quick text once a week or frequent lunches, I will put in the work to keep these relationships going rather than let them slip through my fingers because I’m too lazy to keep in contact.

Go On Adventures

At least once a month I want to try and do something I have never done before. Often, I find myself falling into the trap of doing the same thing over and over. My friends come to my house, we sit and talk. If we’re feeling particularly crazy maybe we watch a movie or play a game. While that is fun sometimes, I think this year is the perfect time to mix it up a bit and make the most of all the activities Melbourne has to offer.

Look After My Skin

I always like to include something super doable when I’m writing my goals. Not only so that I can feel like I have achieved something if I fail at all the others but because there is a lot of value in giving yourself props for reaching your more simple dreams. That is why I aim to look after my skin in 2017 by moisturising my body each day and doing a face mask once a week. It won’t take up too much time but it will make a significant difference to the way my skin looks and feels, not to mention hopefully reduce the likelihood of early-onset wrinkles.

I’m sure many more goals will crop up throughout the year, especially as I get into uni and understand all that my course entails, but for now these are my aims. I hope through completing them 2017 can top the past year and become the best year of my life.

I would love to hear what some of your goals for the new year are so please leave them in the comments.

Lots of Love,

Shannon