20 Goals for a 23 Year Old

This past Friday, I turned 23! Hurray! I’m so old, right? Just kidding. I’m not that person. In any case, it’s a new year with new opportunities and I’m excited continue working to pursue my dreams of writing, travelling, and living.

Now, I obviously won’t be able to do ALL of this before I turn 24, but I plan on this being the trend for the next couple years. Maybe a 5 year plan? Either way, I’ll post updates as I make progress (or lack thereof).

20. Make good lifestyle choices. I am the worst. I suck at sticking to an exercise schedule (read: I have no time). I prefer to eat out rather than cook (read: I have NO time). I’m a sucker for sugar, sodium, and wine (read: I like comfort food).

19. Try new recipes. This builds into #20. I wanna expand my cooking abilities, especially with quinoa and couscous (I LOVE them both). Got a cooking blog? Get at me. I need inspiration.

18. Expand my short story and poetry collection. I’d ideally like to read more and write more from these two mediums. I dabble a little in them now, but I can honestly say that novel writing is more my thing.

17. Find a good TV show. I haven’t found one that’s held my interest since LOST. That ended in 2010.

Maybe I’ll just rewatch LOST.

16. Brush up on my language skills. I’m a foreign language major but I feel like the languages I’ve studied are slipping away. Maybe I’ll start reading books in other languages again.

15. Learn a new language. My partner speaks Afrikaans and I’ve been dabbling in it for a while now. Time to jump on board and study it seriously?

14. Get back into non-fiction. I have so many non-fiction books on my shelf that I just. haven’t. read.

13. Explore the world in my backyard. I’m really good at finding places I wanna go that are far away, but not so much at exploring the places within driving distance. Anyone in southern Ontario or New England? I’m looking for places to go for weekend getaways. Suggest in the comments.

12. Buy a new car. Okay, not new, but I’m scared mine might go any day now. Maybe just a car that’s not 13 years old.

11. Clean out my car. After practically living out of it for almost two years now, it’s a joke. I apologize to any passengers who may have contracted a disease.

10. Clear out old clothes. I’ve been meaning to do this for AGES. I have so many things I don’t wear, and I’m sure I can find a good charity to give them to.

9. Get out of my city. Already decided I won’t live here. Hell, my family doesn’t want to either. Time to go.

8. Plan for the future. Where am I going? What do I need to do? Do I want to buy a house? Life insurance? A spaceship? Adult decisions everywhere!

7. Take more time to just be. Maybe that includes meditation. I haven’t decided. God, I’m so meta.

6. Spend more time with those I love. This one kinda bit me in the butt recently. I had someone very close to me pass away, and I kind of feel like I didn’t get to spend enough time with her these past couple years. It wasn’t that I ignored her, I just regret not learning more about her and not making more memories with her. That needs to change for the future.

5. Go on a big trip next year. And the following year. Already planning Greece and Turkey for 2015. Maybe South Africa again in 2016. Been to these places? Comment and let me know what you think.

4. Edit my next novel. Again. Just when I think it’s done, I get a publishing contract and I get self-conscious of my work all over again. My focus is of course on my first novel that will be out next year, but I want to also fix my subsequent novel so that can be released soon afterward.

3. Make and execute a kickass marketing campaign. I’m amped and planning a huge campaign for my first novel. Want to collaborate? Contact me! Otherwise, look out for it mid-autumn. I want it to be EPIC.

The best gift I received this year!

2. Complete a third manuscript. I already have two on the go, you say? Welp, I just can’t help myself. It’s already started.

1. Be able to live off of my writing. This is my NUMBER ONE goal. For me, writing is not about the money. I’m not looking to be famous or buy a humongous house, but I want to be able to do what I want for a living. I want to be able to make my passion for writing my work. It may not happen tomorrow, but I will stop at nothing to get there. I want to be able to support myself off of what I love.

All day, every day. In theory.

Got any goals?