There are lots of things I wish to accomplish in 2018. I bet you can guess some of them: travel more, save money, eat healthier. While all of these are true, for this year I wanted to make sure I was talking about resolutions that resound with me on a deeper level. These goals for 2018 are personal to me, and personal in a way that forces self-reflection and encourages growth.

1. Pray more.

In 2017 my faith and relationship with Christ grew. I slowly learned how to rebuild my life in a way that reflected how I believed God wanted me to live by learning how to forgive and love more genuinely. The good news is that strengthening my relationship is a forever project, which means this year I can continue to study the Bible and make sure my ways reflect His. So, in 2018, I want to make sure I am praying more. I

want to learn what praying means for my faith, and how it can an anchor in my life. Through the Bible and praying, this year I am going to the source. I want to be humbled enough to understand praying is more than asking God for provisions but, sometimes simply thanking Him and giving praise.

2. Learn another language.

Farsi is the language of my dad’s side of the family. He passed away when I was still a baby so that tongue (and culture) was lost to me. Being half Persian, I feel half of my identity is lost and for me, this creates a strong disconnect between me and the rest of the family. I feel like the odd one out, the one who is related but unable to relate.

This disconnect is something that I solely carry the burden of, as my family has always been communicative and open to me. But, this is what makes this goal personal to me. This is me taking responsibility for strengthening the connections I have with people in my life, and in this case, it begins with language.

3. Reintroduce myself to my family.

I have been a stranger to my maternal family for years. When I was young, I pushed away my own flesh and blood for reasons I felt were justified at the time. Now here I am, 11 years later and I yearn for those relationships to be mended. With so many years between us, I am learning how hard of a process it is.

We can’t just “pick up where we left off” because the truth is, we are strangers. We must reintroduce ourselves to each other, knowing there is years of information to be shared. For 2018, I want to do my part in reaching out, asking questions, and telling stories.

Cheers to 2018 for letting me use it's days to do bigger and better things.