Ever since I moved out on my own, I’ve worked hard to remember the good things that happened each year. As time goes by, I know I won’t be able to remember everything that happened during the years (hell, I can barely remember what happened yesterday), but having a few standout moments from the year lets me put a mental highlight reel together for myself. Here are some of the things I’ll remember from 2018.

I got promoted at work. Doing work I was proud of with a team I genuinely love, I managed to get promoted – ahead of the normal timeframe for my company, and in line with the life goals I set for myself. This promotion isn’t a given for people – it’s a privilege that is earned, not a right that is owed. I’m proud to have been trusted with it this year.

My wife and completed our major home renovations. It was 11 months in the making, and I seriously thought we wouldn’t be able to check this one off in 2018. Down to the wire though, our contractor finished renovating our basement, and we were able to start enjoying it with the company of our closest friends and family.

We travelled to Italy to visit my family. This has been on my list for 20 years. It’s been that long since I’ve seen my family last. For a recount of my experiences from that trip, start with this post. I was… not the nicest kid when I was 10, put it that way. This trip was the first time my family has seen me since then, and I was able to show them that the 10-year-old brat grew up into a (mostly) decent human being 🙂

I wrote weekly blog posts. I start writing online after a life-changing trip to Indonesia with my wife and mother-in-law back in 2016. At first, I was writing two articles a week. That turned out to be a bit much though, and I’ve since settled into a rhythm of writing one post a week, on Fridays. Since starting out, I’ve written over 100 blog posts, and I’ve found that I really have a love for writing. This self-exploration has led me to another writing-based accomplishment in 2018.

I started writing on a freelance basis. Realizing that I love writing, and that I’m half-decent at it, I decided to try my hand at freelance writing. Turns out that the market agrees with me, and I’ve been able to make some very decent side money by writing for others. This is something that I plan to continue in 2019.

I wrote in a daily happiness journal. I didn’t think I’d be able to stick with this 2018 New Year’s resolution, and I wasn’t perfect, but I didn’t manage to log something on most days. This exercise made it easier for me to find things that make me happy, even in the everyday moments of life. For more on what I learned from this exercise, check out this post.

I started learning Kobudo. The yin to Karate’s yang, Kobudo is a complementary martial art that involves the use of various weapons. Since learning how to use the weapons improves your ability to defend against them as well, learning Kobudo has also enhanced my Karate. I also find I freaking love using weapons… but I digress.

Looking Ahead to 2019

Another tradition I have is to set New Year’s resolutions.

…I know.

There’s lots of talk out there about how NYR are garbage, and you’ll never stick to them anyway, and blah blah blah. You know who usually posts these things? People who couldn’t stick to a goal to save their lives. The only thing that separates people who stick to their resolutions from people who don’t is self-discipline. Set a goal, break it out into bite-size chunks so you get that sense of progress, then just do it.

With that said, here are my goals for 2019.

Pay off my line-of-credit. I’ve had a combination of student and home renovation debt for two-and-a-half years now. 2019 is the year I put an end to that. By August 2019, I will be debt-free from this standpoint – mark my words.

Fully fund my 2020 trip to Machu Picchu. My brother and I are planning a trip to Machu Picchu in 2020, and I’m going to have that trip fully funded by the end of 2019. You need to book that trip early, so this one is basically a necessity anyway!

Earn my second-degree black belt in Karate. While there is no set timing to earn your Nidan, I plan to work hard at the elements that will demonstrate my readiness to grade for the title. Kata, bunkai, sparring, knife-defence, history…. All of it. This is the year I decide I’m mentally ready to grade for a rank that many aspire to, but few achieve.

Get to $50,000 in savings. I used up a big chunk of my savings to put a down payment on the house my wife and I live in now. By the end of 2019, I want to replenish those savings and surpass where I was before we bought the house. I should be there by August 2019.

Continue writing in my happiness journal. I’ve learned and gained so much from this process already, it only makes sense to continue writing daily in this journal and see where it takes me in 2019.

Build a table with my grandpa. I didn’t get to it in 2018, but that’s ok; 2019 is the year I build a dining room table under my grandpa’s supervision. I have so much to learn from him about woodworking, and a dining room table is the perfect project to do it.

Make $4,000 by freelancing. I’ve already proven my skills have worth in the freelance marketplace; 2019 is the year I capitalize on that. It’s just $333 per month to hit my goal of $4,000 for the year. The best part is that this will help me with my three other financial goals!

Wrapping it Up

Setting New Year’s resolutions isn’t silly; the idea of goal-setting exists for a reason. But it takes discipline and a dedication to setting yourself up to win to make sure that you actually follow through on what you say you’re going to do. If you’re thinking of making your own resolutions for 2019, do it! And when you do, remember: chunk them down into achievable bits, share them with others to hold yourself accountable, and track your progress.

Above all else, remember this: self-discipline is the only thing standing in the way of you achieving your goals for the coming year. Are you ready to make 2019 count?

Remember that thing I said about sharing your goals to keep yourself accountable? Well why not share them here in the comments? It’s the first small step to committing to doing what you set out to do this year. What are you waiting for?