I'm not going to lie, 2017 was a roller coaster of a year. I'm sure I'm not the only one who thinks that too. My year was not perfect and although there were plenty of ups with amazing opportunities, accomplishments, and people that happened and came into my life, I also experienced plenty of downs as well.

There had been times during 2017 where I just felt mentally and physically exhausted. Whether it be from something happening in my life or the daily news stories I'd see pop up on my social media that were less than uplifting. But despite all of that, I went into 2018 with a positive mindset and a list of goals that I will finally get to say I can cross off after putting them off for so many years.

Because if there's one thing I've learned from 2017, it's that when the going gets tough, you keep fighting your way to the top instead of letting yourself and others push you to the bottom.

With that being said, here are 8 goals I know I will achieve in 2018.

1. Finally remove toxic people from my life

You know the ones. The best friend who only hurts you but says they're doing it because they want to see the best in you and they care. The ex who keeps showing up in your life that you keep taking back only for them to disappoint you just like the many times before you've stopped losing count over it.

If you have these type of people in your life, they're not doing you any favors by being in it. They're only hurting you in the end.

I've put up with these same types of people for a long time in my life, much longer than I'm willing to admit. So, I took it upon myself to delete their numbers and block them from all forms of social media so I never have to see or hear from them again. Let me tell you, it's amazing the clarity you regain in yourself once all the toxins are released.

2. Get out of my comfort zone more

I've been saying this and repeating these words for a long time with little to no improvement. I'm a very shy person and when you mix in a string of terrible social anxiety it doesn't make for the most adventurous type of person. But this year I want to change that.

I want to be able to get out and do things my anxiety always told me I could never even think of doing. I let my negative thoughts consume me for so long to a point where I didn't think there would be a return.

So, I've decided to enjoy this year and take back the person I used to be who wouldn't let her anxiety control her. This will be hard for me, because like so many people that deal with mental illness, it's a struggle every single day. But I will be living proof that no matter the battle, I will be triumphant.

3. Find real confidence for once

I've been sporting fake confidence for pretty much my whole life. I got so good at it that I couldn't see that I was only hiding under a facade. Most of the time I would do it in front of other people so they wouldn't see me crack.

I wanted them to believe that this girl they were looking at and talking to was one-hundred percent comfortable with herself. Little did they know I wasn't only lying to them, I was lying to myself.

But I'm done pretending who I am and who I want to be. This year I will do whatever it takes to find that confidence within me that I always knew I had, and I won't stop until it's genuine and real this time.

4. Get off of social media more

Every morning I always start it the same. I go right over to my phone and scroll through Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat. It's become such a daily routine for me that I can't start my day without looking at it.

I get excited over seeing a notification appear on my phone and I get upset over not getting enough re-tweets, views, or likes on a post, video, or picture. It gets to a point that if something I put up doesn't get enough likes I take it down.

I've let social media consume me, with it doing more bad than good for me. I've tried taking them off my phone and logging out of them, but it only lasts a few hours and then I'm back on the same cycle. I want for this year to get to a point where I no longer resort to social media being the first and last thing I do every day.

5. See my dreams become a reality

We all have dreams and while some of us are able to pursue them and see them come true, others, including myself, tend to put them in the back corners of our mind as a way to remind ourselves that we'll never see them come true. Maybe it's because of the fact that they're ridiculous dreams, ones that seem nearly impossible to come true. Maybe it's because of the fact that we're too afraid to chase after them because we'll end up stumbling and failing.

My dream has always been to write a novel and maybe it won't come true this year, but the things necessary to get to there will. Things like getting into graduate school, taking and pursuing my dream from there. I'm no longer afraid to chase after my dreams no matter how many times I fall in the process.

6. Try new things

Whether it be a new food, activity or genre of music, I want to expand my horizons this year and from now on. I was always so used to keeping myself in a tight packed bubble for fear that if I got out of it, I would pop. I thought that I wouldn't be able to handle doing something new because it wouldn't be the person I was.

But that's the problem, I got so used to living in that small bubble where I was comfortable instead of getting out of it all these years when I had a chance. But I'm not going to let that happen anymore, and as hard as it may be for someone whose introverted to put herself out there, I know the results will be worth it in the end.

7. Stop apologizing for yourself and learn that it's okay to say "no" sometimes

This is definitely something I've struggled with throughout my life. I've always been one to apologize for my actions even if there wasn't anything I even did wrong in the first place. I also tend to agree to doing things for others when they ask even when I didn't want to do it because it seemed like the right thing to do.

I think we all become used to saying those words, "I'm sorry," and "no" for fear of hurting others. But we end up hurting ourselves because we blame ourselves for doing something we didn't even want to do in the first place instead of being honest with ourselves.

I'm finally learning that not apologizing for things and saying "no" more times than "yes" aren't bad things, they're necessary sometimes.

8. Be so happy that it makes others sick

I've never been one-hundred percent happy before. I don't think I've ever even come close to it to be honest. It's something I've dealt with a lot recently and especially this past year. I've never been happy with the way I look and trying to pretend and fake it is more work than actually believing in myself. I've witnessed and been through a lot in my life and I don't try to make that an excuse to have people feel sorry for me.

But going through that can make it hard to find happiness when there's been so much pain. I never saw myself as a person who deserved happiness in her life. But it wasn't until I allowed someone to come into my life and see what I never saw myself did I realize I am worth it. I don't credit him fully for it, but he was what I needed for me to see that my happiness is possible.

Here's to a happy 2018. I hope all of your goals and ridiculous dreams come true.