As 2017 departs and we embrace the new year, I head into 2018 with a desire and hunger to really push forward and develop my skill set.

After three years back in full-time work, I returned to freelance in July (2017) and spent the following months finding my feet and laying the foundations for this year.

As a freelancer, it is easy to slip into a routine and go through the motions without really pushing yourself. Before you know it another year has slipped by and you get stuck in a rut. I’ve fallen into this trap before and so I have purposely set myself targets, so this won't happen again.

I know potentially I won't be able to achieve them all immediately, but setting them will give me the focus to work towards them and succeed.

I have larger goals, some financial but mostly development based. A majority are smaller stepping stones so that I can track my development and to keep me focussed and positive.

My main goal will be to have the freedom to work more remotely this year. Having a family has really made me appreciate the time I spend with them. Before I returned to freelance, I would only see my daughter a few hours over the weekend and that’s not fair on anyone. Family is the most important thing to me and I want to cherish every moment I can.

Positivity is going to be a big focus too. I’m not a negative person by a long shot, far from it. But making a conscience effort to be more positive and influence people will only benefit my life and those around me.

In order to take my career forward and offer a wider service, I want to develop my skill set as well as share my experience and learnings. I want to continue to develop my Cinema 4D knowledge and become familiar and confident with Adobe After Effects.

Over recent years, my illustration work has been neglected and so I want to work towards having an illustration portfolio. I also want to improve my writing habit and get a consistent blog post published.

A dream project for the year would be to work on a selection of craft beer labels. It may sound a little random, but there are so many beautifully crafted designs out there and I really want to be a part of it.

I am really looking forward to what 2018 brings and am focussed on bringing success.

I wish you all a happy and healthy 2018 and you achieve all you want to.