On to 27.

It seems like yesterday that I wrote a list of 25 goals for turning 25. It really helped me to get pointed in the right direction for where I wanted to be in my life/career. And now, one of my goals is to write a list of goals every year, to keep myself on track. 

So on to 27. No, I'm not writing 27 goals this year. A part of the creative process is editing yourself, so I have whittled it down to 4 simple, albeit multi-tiered goals. 

1 - Building Athletic Endurance. 

Most people have fitness goals that are based on weight, or appearance. Mine is based on one thing: endurance. At 25, I ran my first half-marathon. At 26, I ran my first full marathon. And at 27, I'm determined to run my first ever triathlon. And not just any triathlon, I'm talking about a Half Ironmnan! That's right, I'm jumping in head first (pun intended). If you know me relatively well, you probably know that I can't (really) swim, which makes this decision all the more difficult. I've never wanted anything more than I've wanted to be called an "Ironman", so I am dedicating every run, every swim, every bike ride, and every gym session to completing this race. And one day in the future, I plan to cross the finish life the full Ironman. Who wants to train with me?

2 - Continued Learning (and Teaching).

I very much consider myself a student of design, even as a "professional." I try to spend as much time as possible learning what I can about design, and art. This year I am going to continue to push to make myself the best artist and designer I can possibly be! Continue to push my freelance career, and to continue to make art for the sake of making art. I also want to work to putting myself out there more as an artist. Making myself more vulnerable, sharing more of my process, and sharing more of what I have learned with anyone that wants to learn. Anything you want to learn from me?

3 - Explore New Places, and Mediums. 

As I have mentioned in the past, I really want to spend more time this year exploring places and mediums that I haven't before. As an artist, it means to try things I may not have wanted to try in the past. Discover new ways to make art, and dive deeper into them. I also want to explore more in a adventurous sense. I feel like I do a great job of exploring the city I live in now by riding to neighborhoods others may not, but I want to take it out of Chicago city limits. I want to explore more of the United States, and even abroad, if I can afford it. As I write this list, I am on a plane to Utah purely for fun. Those are the types of trips I am talking about. Going somewhere just because. Seeing what a place has to offer that isn't on TripAdvisor. So let's explore somewhere cool. Anyone looking for a travel buddy?

4 - Have a Better Attitude. 

This one is simple. I just want to have a better attitude more often. I'm a pretty positive person overall, but I just want to make sure that people see the best side of me more frequently. I want to make an effort to be less moody/grumpy, and ease my resting bitch face (except in the mornings. It's just best if we don't try and have full conversations before 9 am. Sorry). A little over a month ago, I was with a friend at a bar, and I said something that she still gives me grief about. So I made a commitment to her to be less of a d*ck this year. I signed it on a napkin and she folded up and put it in her purse. So it really comes down to being less of a d*ck. Do me a favor and call me out on it, okay?

So that's it. 4 simple (yet long-winded) goals the make my 27th year my best year (actually it's my 28th if you consider I have already lived 27 years, and I am working on the next one, but you know what I mean). Here's to good year ahead!