5 Tips for Your 18 for 2018 List

Have you made your 18 for 2018 list yet? If so, GREAT! Tell me what’s on your list below! If you haven’t, it’s not too late to start! Here are some tips for how to design your 18 for 2018 list. Don’t know what I’m talking about? The next section is for you!

What is an 18 for 2018 List?

The idea for the 18 for 2018 List is that you write down a list of 18 things that you want to do in 2018. It can be anything from travel to another country to hosting a dinner party. Each person gets to define what things make the list, so it’s incredibly versatile! Then, you work on your list all year long, and try to get them all finished before the year is up!

5 Tips for Your 18 for 2018 List

Here are 5 concrete tips to help you design your 18 for 2018 List.

1. Keep it somewhere visible.

When it comes to completing a year-long project like this, keeping the project top of mind becomes increasingly more important as the days go on. When you first write your list, you probably won’t have much trouble remembering all 18 of your items. But as time goes on, life and work invade, and those 18 items get forgotten! By keeping your list somewhere you will see it all the time (taped to the bathroom mirror, on the first page of your planner, on the fridge, etc), you are much more likely to follow through on the items.

2. Add items of varying complexity.

At the beginning of the year, it is super tempting to think about all of the BIG plans you had for last year that never got done, and fill your list with all big, time-consuming tasks. However, we encourage you to mix it up a little. Add a couple items that are easy and quick to get out of the way, so that you can start the year off with a bang and feel accomplished, even when some tasks may take months to complete (Training to run a marathon? Completing your last couple of classes to graduate college?).

3. Consider “Things That Can Be Done Any Time.”

One of my favorite writers, Gretchen Rubin (of The Happiness Project and The Four Tendencies) says “things that can be done any time are often done at no time” on her podcast, Happier with Gretchen Rubin. This is such a great point! I have been meaning to get my teeth whitened for YEARS now, and I just never seen to get around to it! There’s always something more pressing, more important, more fun, etc, so whitening my teeth gets forgotten or put off, and thus it doesn’t get done (guess what’s on my list this year!).

4. Feel free to leave an empty space or two.

If you are having trouble coming up with 18 things to add to your list, feel free to leave a couple of your spaces empty for now. Something may come up in the next month or two that you didn’t consider now that would be PERFECT for your list. On the other end of the spectrum, if you end up with 19 instead of 18, that’s ok too! Just call it your “19 Before 2019 List” instead! (I had 2 empty spaces until March!)

5. Be specific.

The biggest thing to keep in mind when designing your list is to make sure to be specific. “Read more” is a great thought, but how do you measure it? When do you cross it off your list? It’s better to make a more concrete list item: Read one book a month. Join a book group. Read 2 books to the kids every night before bed. You get the idea!

My 18 for 2018 List:

How could I possibly talk this much about 18 for 2018 Lists and not include mine?! So, here you go, my 18 for 2018 List (plus a bonus!):

1. Read at least 26 books in 26 different categories. (2/21/18 So far I’ve read 9 books in 5 categories)
2. Learn to play 26 songs on the piano. (3/7 – I’ve learned 2 perfectly, with 8 decently)
3. Homeschool Charlotte. (3/7 – Doing pretty good on this so far!) (5/14 – She’s signed up to start preschool in the fall, and I’m hyperventilating JUST a little thinking about my baby girl going to school and not being here with me… Just saying…)
4. Get the 2017 holiday photos printed and framed.
5. Host a Mother’s Circle meetup.
6. Start using the diffuser regularly (at least once a week). (2/21 – so far… not so good)
7. Get a new phone (and case).
8. Take more photos of the kids (at least one photo shoot a month). (4 out of 12 done)
9. Take more photos of us with the kids that aren’t selfies (at least one photo of each of us a month!) (2/21 – Again, not so good at this one… I have 1 photo of me with Teddy…) (5/14 – Yup… still all selfies… At least I’m taking more of those, though! Haha)
10. Get a new bra.
11. Go on at least 1 date a month. (4 out of 12 complete!)
12. Have a lobster double date with friends.
13. Write a book (novel or children’s).
14. Celebrate the solstices. (1 out of 4 complete)
15. Write a will.
16. Whiten teeth (see? Told you it was on my list!)
17. Get new headshots taken.
18. Take a photography course. (DONE! Now I’m starting a business course!)
19. BONUS: Shoot a wedding! (I am just dying to do a wedding, even if I’m just a second shooter!) (WOO!!!)