After the mess that was last year, I’m looking at ways to make this year just as good (if not better) than 2015, which was my favourite year ever. I’m planning to concentrate on learning new things, tying up old loose ends, and building on what I have.

When I was thinking of what I wanted to do, learn and accomplish this year, I thought it would make an interesting blog post. Not many people consciously think about investing in themselves even if they’re naturally doing it, but I think it’s important to link everything up so I’m actually forced to look at what I’ve done differently and what I’ve learned along the way.

So here are some things I’m going to try this year – maybe you’ll join me? Some of them are tried and tested, some of them you may not have thought about before, but either way hopefully you’ll find something to inspire you.

Since it’s 2017, there are 17 things on this list, but they’re all time-neutral so you can revisit this list in future years or start whenever you like. If you feel like your game is already strong in a particular area or you’re not motivated to concentrate on, skip it and move your focus elsewhere. So you don’t spread yourself too thin, work on one thing at a time. You don’t have to try to do everything on the list, but if you want to, make sure you have a mix of short term and long term goals to make it more achievable :)

01. Try something you’ve always wanted to try

We’re starting out with something fun to get the ball rolling. What’s one thing you’ve always wanted to do but never got round to? Maybe you saw some photos from a friend’s trip and want to visit that place, maybe it’s a particular sport, maybe it’s a food or drink.

02. Do something better

I’m constantly thinking, ‘Man, my photography/PPC knowledge/organisation could be so much better‘. Instead of thinking it, I need to change it! Pick one thing and learn more about it and practice it until you’re happy with it.

03. Switch a lowbrow for a highbrow

Maybe you’re a fan of Hollywood movies. Or reality TV. Or pop music. We all have secret guilty pleasures, but try swapping a standard action film for an involved foreign language film, or listen to a podcast instead of corny tunes now and again.

04. Scare yourself

This could be as literal as an actual rollercoaster or as figurative as a big life change. I’ve found that scaring myself massively helps me deal with anxiety, as horrible as it is. Things change in life anyway, so setting yourself up to be scared at least gives you some control over it, right?

05. Try a new sport/form of exercise

I really need to do this this year. I must have tried probably twenty sports in my lifetime, and I’m yet to find one I like. Unless Pokemon Go counts, which I’m pretty sure it doesn’t.

06. Learn a new language

Download the Duolingo app and just do a few minutes a day. Last year I learned the words for ‘cat’, ‘honey’ and ‘meat’ in Ukrainian and I’ve never felt more fulfilled. Probably a few more words this year wouldn’t hurt ;)

07. Become an expert

Level up an existing skill that you’re already okay at. Take it up a gear or two! This year I’m planning to do another photography course.

08. Get more organised

How much time do you waste looking for things or completing tasks that are kind of inefficient? Put things you use often at eye level in your home, have a big clear out, investigate new ways to organise yourself (lists, bullet journalling, apps, diaries, etc.)

09. Read something different

Pick up something you’d never normally read. Maybe it’s a non-fiction book, maybe it’s a thriller. Hell, maybe it’s even a car manual. Be crazy. Appreciate the novelty.

10. Learn a new web skill

Web skills are the gift that keep on giving. But what’s your weak point? Maybe this year is the year you’ll learn to code, or know everything about search engine optimisation, or create better images for your website, or figure out how to sell profitably online.

11. Solve a problem

Last year I’d completely run out of storage space for my books, and it was having a knock-on impact on lots of other things as a result. It was all chaos. So I got rid of my desk, bought new bookcases, and the problem was solved. I’d been putting it off for ages because I wasn’t sure it was the right solution, but I haven’t regretted it one bit. Maybe this year I’ll solve the problem of board game space ;)

12. Break a bad habit

This is a bit more of a typical new year’s resolution, but don’t frame it like that and then you can’t lose. As long as you’re still trying, you have a chance of succeeding.

13. Enrol on a course

There are so many amazing free courses online if you don’t want to spend money or physically sit in a class. Lots of univerisites run free courses, or you could learn something in less than five minutes a day with gohighbrow.com.

14. Volunteer

If you’re in the UK, do-it.org.uk is a brilliant website for finding volunteering opportunities in your area. It’s not just volunteering in charity shops – you can do everything from working with animals to cooking to social media.

15. Be more adult

I don’t know about you, but I’m terrible at being an adult. I make party bags for my parties for god’s sake. Anyway, there are lots of adulty things I never do, like changing lightbulbs or watering plants. So I’m going to pick a few small tasks, like how to put up blinds, and YouTube them.

16. Spend more time with facts

Whether it’s TV documentaries, books, or just Wikipedia, you can learn all kinds of interesting things. One of my favourite websites is atlasobscura.com. Did you know there’s a dog suicide bridge?

17. Give yourself 2 hours a week

Having driving lessons has made me realise that you can achieve a lot in just two hours a week. Set aside some time, give yourself a reasonable challenge, and see what you can achieve. Maybe you’ll surprise yourself.

What’s your main goal for this year?