12 Things I’m Looking Forward To Over The Next 12 Months

1. Experiencing new places and seeing new things. Only a few days into the New Year, I have a few, set plans to travel to cities I’ve never been to before. These trips will be spent exploring new places and enjoying new adventures with people closest to me. And, I hope to gain new insight into this world we live in through each trip.

2. Achieving a personal best in my second marathon. I have already promised myself that I will give everything it takes during my training, so that, come race day, my performance is at its best. And, pushing myself to destroy my 2012 time is what it’s all about. It may be difficult; it may be painful; but it will most definitely be worth it.

3. Strengthening the relationships I currently have, and opening up to new ones. I’ve made some really great connections, both personally and professionally, and I want to see them continue to grow. These are people important to me, and I intend to put more effort in reaching out, nurturing, and investing time in deepening these relationships. And I look forward to those whom I have yet to meet.

4. Making time for family. I appreciate everything my family has done for me up to this point, and this year I need to make sure they know just how much they mean to me. I want to be a better sister, a better daughter, a better aunt, a better cousin, a better niece. While I may have moved further away from home, it doesn’t mean I can’t make more of an effort to keep in touch and be a better family member.

5. Becoming my own boss. It’s been a life-long dream to be the CEO of my own company, and this is the year I set the foundation, and put the building blocks in place. Where my blood, sweat, and tears lead me to the creation of my own professional entity – the approach, vision, direction, voice, and positioning is solely mine.

6. Taking full advantage of every hour, in every day. It’s about the hustle; it’s about the hard work. I’m excited to see where it gets me, and what it will offer me. I’m not usually one who can sit around and kill time – I enjoy doing something…and this is the year it will pay off.

7. Waking up with the sun. I’m an early riser naturally, but I’ve become quite comfortable – too comfortable, really – with letting myself hit ‘snooze’. Whether it’s to hit the pavement, put in some extra time with building my brand, or just reflecting over a cup of coffee, I want to make this more of a habit. To see the beginning of the day that many miss out on.

8. Allowing for a little vulnerability. There’s so much I’ve closed myself off to, and so much I’ve held myself back from because of past experiences. It’s time to make myself available to what can be – to open my heart and my mind to people and feelings that will give me so much more than I could ever imagine. This year, I want to feel it all, and see where it gets me.

9. Getting connected to my community. While I do my fair share of volunteering, I want to leave my mark in this city that I now call home. I want to make connections with others that will make a difference; I want to be a part of something that will benefit others who call this city home, too.

10. Going back to the basics. I want to write – literally putting pen to paper – journaling each day, and highlighting the good that comes with each day, so I can appreciate the little things in life. I want to make sure, looking back, I can see that with every struggle or obstacle, there was some good that came along with it. And I want this in a tangible place where I can physically write these things down.

11. Dressing with a purpose. Making more of an effort to put on clothes that are more than just comfortable is something I need to improve on this year. Comfort is key, yes – but so is a first impression. And I want to be sure that my appearance speaks volumes about how serious I am about taking an active role in my personal and professional future. I may not be the most fashionable, but it’s something I can work on.

12. Reading more – and outside of my comfort zone. I’ve already come across so many reading challenges for the New Year, and I want to make an effort to challenge myself in this aspect of my life. I read, yes, but typically only one type of genre and it usually isn’t placed as my top priority. I want to strengthen my intellectual property by challenging my mind, to think outside of the box, and consider things about this world that I never thought I would. It starts with expanding my horizon.