My 2022 Goals

{daily habits, lifestyle shifts, career moves.}

In the past, resolutions have never really been my thing. It’s always felt like an annual announcement of goals that nobody ever follows through with, and a competition to see whose unachievable goals for perfection sound the fanciest and most thought out. My goals have sounded the same for the last four or five years. Become a published author. Publish a book. Get my name out there. 

Depending on the person, some would say I have achieved this goal. I have my own blog and social media accounts where I consistently showcase my work, “publishing” it onto the internet. Although this goal doesn’t look exactly like I once thought it would, I have a hard time disagreeing with this. I am out there –or, out here, I suppose – and I am slowly creating a name for myself in this community. Because of this realization, my goal for my 2022 resolutions was simple: to be as specific as possible with every goal I set for myself, big and small. 

So although this post may look a little different from my others, today I am sharing my ever growing list of 2022 resolutions. My hope is that 2022 is the year that I not only graduate and enter the “real world,” but also the year in which I establish myself; as a writer, an artist, a creator, and an influencer. Each goal was carefully thought out, no matter how small, to kickstart a shift in mindset, a change in lifestyle, and even a career for myself.

Small Goals: Just as important. Put in place to trigger a lifestyle change, one day at a time. 

1. Journal as much as possible. As much as I write, you’d think this one would be easy for me, but it’s not. It’s easy for me to create art out of my pain, my joy, my hard-to-deal-with feelings. But journaling requires a sort of mindfulness. You have to intentionally confront your feelings first hand, instead of just creating a symbol for them or twisting them into metaphors. So I’m being gentle with myself. No harsh schedule or intimidating expectations. Just an intention to journal consistently – whether that looks like bullet journaling, to-do lists, or digging deep into my feelings. 
2. Read the Bible at least five times per week. This one has also proved itself to be difficult. I am very easily distracted when reading – whether this be work of the enemy or just my own wandering mind, I have a difficult time staying focused on the word in front of me, especially if it’s a part of the Bible I find difficult to understand. Having a study Bible has definitely helped, and being intentional about highlighting and note keeping has also been helpful. When I make this part of my morning routine, it is much more manageable. 
3. Drink more water. As cliche as this one sounds, I love pop and coffee. I have a hard time reaching for a bottle of water over Dr Pepper or Dunkin. At this point, I just try to balance a 1:1 ratio for my sugary drinks and water. It’s definitely not the best, but it’s much better than the dehydration I put myself through last year. 
4. Movement: Weight and Cardio Training at least five times per week. This one has been surprisingly easy for me. Last year I would hit the gym around three or four times a week, with no real intention or direction. However, this year I’ve fallen even more in love with the self improvement and peace I’ve achieved during my workouts. I love lifting. I’m having a blast learning new things. Cardio, on the other hand, has sucked. But I’m getting there. Movement in general has helped my focus, my anxieties, and my overall mental and physical health. I suggest this one to anyone. And I mean anyone. 
5. Clean at least one area per day. As an eighteen year old, I am just now transitioning out of the phase where my parents cleaned and did all my laundry for me. Although they still help, there are more expectations with what I need to do on the daily. Keeping my goal manageable, I clean or organize one area of my room or general space per day, on top of normal house upkeep (we’re a family of seven, we all gotta pitch in). It is helping me feel more productive, responsible, and preparing me for eventually living on my own. 
6. Focus on my social media presence. Because I’m striving to make income off of my presence online, it is important for me to reflect my story and goals in a positive way, and provide my audience with the content they want. On Instagram, that generally means poetry. But on Tik Tok I’m better known for my spoken words, and here on my blog, I have created an environment of vulnerability with my art; I am free to share as much or as little of my life as I wish here, without any restraints. This year I plan to continue to build these platforms. 
7. Be in the present. Though this one doesn’t fit in as well with the themes of my other small goals, it is something I need to focus on daily. A lot of my anxiety stems from my fear of the future and the fear of the unknown. Instead of trying to plan every scenario that could possibly happen in my head, I am trying to live in the present, and focus on the world around me. Mindfulness is a big word for my 2022. 

Big Goals: Career goals and bigger-scale lifestyle changes. 

8. Open a bank account. This one is fairly self explanatory. I worked for the past year and never opened one. Now I’m an adult and have to do adult things, like opening up bank accounts. 
9. Redo my room. My environment directly correlates to my mental health and well being, and I wish for my space to be a reflection of me. I want to paint and redecorate my space in order to achieve this look. 
10. Publish Look for Me Between These Lines. I am reformatting this collection for the last time in Apple Pages. My biggest dream is for my own work to be in the hands of readers everywhere; this is all I want for myself. 
11. Start a Podcast. This is one of my biggest goals, and one of the ones I’m most excited for. I love writing, creating, speaking, and influencing. I believe this all can best be achieved in a Podcast form. So that’s exactly what I plan to do. 

Resolutions don’t always have to be big and flashy; I’d like to think that mine are manageable changes, and most of them can be broken up into small steps. This year I’m striving to hold myself to a high standard with expectation of success, while still being gentle with myself, and I encourage you to do the same. 

Get in touch with me in the comments or on other platforms… I’d love to hear about your 2022 goals!