On November 3rd, 2017, I turned 22 years-old. Without any hesitation, I ran around the house singing Taylor Swift’s song “22” at the top of my lungs. I’m beyond grateful for all of the people in my life, the amount I’ve grown and the memories that were a part of being 21, but as I look forward into this year, I am excited for what has yet to come. Here’s a list of 22 goals, inspiration and reminders as I go through the year of being 22.
1. Stop waiting for tomorrow
Treat every day like the first day of the rest of your life. Whether it’s telling someone you love them, applying for your dream job or traveling to a destination you’ve always wanted to go to, stop waiting for tomorrow and make these things happen today.
2. Learn to say “no” more often
I am definitely a “yes” girl who tries to cram everything into one day and wants to please everyone, between grabbing coffee with a friend, taking on extra school projects and to helping out in any way possible. Most of the time it makes me feel useful and important until I start feeling overwhelmed and regretting my decision of saying yes to too many things in the first place. But this is the year I have to learn to say no, whenever its necessary, in order to benefit my well-being.
3. Plan less
I always try to make the most of every day, but by doing so I usually try to fit an entire week’s worth of to-do lists into a single day. This productive strategy does not always work out and makes life feel hectic, creates a messy schedule and I end up feeling overwhelmed looking at all of the things I have yet to accomplish. Learning to plan less and spreading things out over time will take a lot of less stress out of each day and prioritize what needs to get done.
4. Take another solo trip
I took my first solo trip last year when I was 21 and it was one of the most reflective and rejuvenating experiences I’ve had. This year, I want to take the next step and go on a longer and more extravagant trip to make it another unforgettable experience.
5. SAVE for future travels and adventures
I hope to fill this upcoming year with a lot of traveling and bigger trips to places I have never been to. I would love to make a habit to put away at least $10-$20 aside each week in a travel fund and start building up a savings for grand adventures.
6. Take blogging more seriously
As a journalism major, I want to continuously improve my writing, share my story, and hope to inspire others through words the way other people have inspired me. I set myself a goal to upload a blog post at least once a month to focus on quality over quantity, but also start to grow my blog-based audience.
7. Take more personal pictures
As a photographer, I take a lot of photos of the world around me, but, more often than not, I get caught up in the moment and completely forget to take a photo altogether. This year, I am going to change that. I want to capture more candid and fun moments with my friends and family to remember the experiences I had, the feeling I felt in that moment along with the faces of the beautiful people I was sharing the experience with.
8. Stop comparing my life to others
I want to change my mentality to accomplish this goal. I’ll be so much happier by immersing myself in the beauty of my everyday life.
9. Be more confident in myself
I am proud of myself and the person I have become. I’m embracing the qualities and the quirks that I have because there is no one else in the world who is exactly the kind of person I am. I don’t want to be afraid to say things about my life because I’m afraid of how people will react or think. The goal is to be more of an open book and simply be me, and people will only love me more for it.
10. Spend quality time with family
Being away from home at college has made me miss the small and precious moments I have with my family. Whether it’s grabbing a cup of coffee with my Mom or going to the beach with my parents, I want to soak up and cherish every single moment I get to spend with my family members.
11. Be proud of the way I love deeply
I want to be proud of the way I love and care for others in the world. I will never change the way I show love and am proud for always choosing my heart over anything else. And ultimately, be proud of believing that love has the power to change everyone and everything.
12. To never stop working towards my dreams
If life gets too busy or I think I’m not good enough, I am. I don’t ever want to be afraid to just try and keep moving forward. We’ve all got big dreams ahead, but its up to us to make sure we turn these dreams into a reality.
13. Fuel my body with the best nutrients
The world has a lot of fresh and natural foods to offer between leafy greens, antioxidant fruits, proteins and healthy fats, learning to listen to my body and fueling it with the best nutrition will only make me feel more energized and make my soul healthier and happier.
14. Never stop learning
Learning doesn’t stop when I end school, there is so much to learn in real-world experiences. I will be curious, question things and immerse myself in the world — knowledge is power.
15. Write a letter to my future self
I will open this letter in about ten years, at age 32, and my life is going to be drastically different. Maybe I’ll be married, maybe I’ll have kids or live in the dream home I’ve always wanted to. I want to write down my hopes, dreams and aspirations at 22 that I hope to accomplish within 10 years.
16. Read a self-help book
I want to constantly read a book that will only benefit me, become a better person and motivate me to achieve my goals. Setting aside time to focus on me and having words as a reminder, will only encourage me to becoming the best possible version of myself.
17. Film a vlog
I’ve always loved the idea of visual story-telling and vlogging is a fun and unique way to remember a lot of the special moments in my life through an expressive platform.
18. Surround myself with good people
Surround myself with people that reflect who I want to be and how I want to feel, energy is contagious.
19. Make a list of things that make me truly happy
Every now and then, when life feels overwhelming or hectic, I need to take a moment to slow down and write what makes me happy. Having these lists will fulfill my days with gratitude and appreciate the little things in my life.
20. Learn better self-love and how to care for myself
Self-love is extremely important. Setting aside time to focus on me, learning to love my flaws, and listening to what my body needs will only benefit me in the future. Taking advantage of those moments of solitude and caring for what I truly need in my life is something I hope to accomplish.
21. Find my happiness
It’s important to take a step back and focus on the things that make you happy. I want to find moments in my life to figure out what I love to do, find what makes me tick, find what brings a smile to my face, what brings joy to my life and ultimately find what makes me, me.
22. Enjoy the year
Going further into the 20’s can feel kind of scary, but this is a crucial time for self-discovery, growth, following my passion and living each day to the fullest.
These are the 22 goals I want to hold close to my heart. 22 is going to be a year in which I will continue wandering, storytelling, exploring and loving and living deeply. The ultimate goal is to simply enjoy every single moment of this year. Here’s to being 22!