I don’t like New Year’s Resolutions. They’re so mainstream. Years ago, I decided to make birthday resolutions instead. Last year, my list of birthday resolutions was one of my highest viewed blog posts. A tradition was born.

The Hubble Telescope, the Republic of Namibia, Jennifer Lawrence, Seinfeld, Dances With Wolves, Jurassic Park (the book, not the movie), “Ice Ice Baby,” Windows 3.0 and yours truly all turn 24 this year. Some of us are aging better than others. I’m looking at you, Hubble. As I approach the new year, here’s what I hope to accomplish in 2014.

1) Get My Fiction Published

This last year, I broke into freelance writing. It felt great to find an outlet for my nerdy love of foreign policy and politics, but it was all strictly news writing. This year, I want to bulk up my publishing credits in the area of fiction. I tried to sell my first story to a literary journal in 2012. Two years of chasing the dream of seeing my work in print have taught me a lot. I have a good feeling that my hard work will pay off this year. All it takes is determination.

2) Communicate More Good

I moved across the country last year. As difficult as it has been to establish myself in a new community, it’s been even harder to maintain regular communication with old friends back home. My friends are like my family. I don’t want to lose them because I let them drift away. This year, I’m making a concerted effort to stay connected with the people who matter most to me.

3) Invest In My Passions

In the year-and-a-half since graduating from college, I’ve labored under the belief that my dream career path and a successful career path were two different things. But I’ve come to understand that success can’t be measured in dollars. You can’t make your working life be your only reason to get up in the morning. I don’t know about you, but I need to be engaged in things that make me feel alive. Freelancing in topics that interest me are a part of that. Carving out time to be with the people I love is another. I know there’s nothing revolutionary about this idea, but this year, I want to refocus on the people and activities that bring me joy.

Here’s to a new year, new adventures and the beginning of the countdown until I can legally rent a car. Carpe annum.

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Jonny Eberle is a writer in Tacoma, WA. You can wish him a happy birthday by following him on Twitter or share your own resolutions below. Thanks for reading!