It's officially 2018! To help you work on your Feel Good Goal, we just launched the Daily Check-in feature on the Shine iOS app. Download it now.

I have a notebook hidden in the back of my closet that I bring out once a year right before New Year’s Eve. Every year, I write a few pages where I reflect on the highs and lows of the previous 365 days, reflect on how far I’ve come since last year’s entry, and write down my goals for the coming year.

I started my annual reflection the other day, and, as much as I appreciate some of the amazing highs of my year (starting a new job at Shine was at the top of the list!), it’s hard to ignore that 2017 came with a lot of challenges. It was, frankly, exhausting.

I know I’m not the only one who felt that way about 2017. In fact, in 2017, Americans' wellbeing was on the decline—a reversal of a three-year upward trend. When we asked the Shine community to describe in one word how they felt in 2017, the top two words were “sad” and “tired.” Oof.

When we asked the Shine community to describe in one word how they felt in 2017, the top two words were “sad” and “tired.” Oof.

What’s also exhausting? The pressure that can come with “New Year, New Me” resolutions. Trying to become a completely “new us” at the start of the year kind of throws shade at who we are now. And our New Year’s resolutions are too often disconnected from what makes us feel good. The New York Times reports that New Year's resolutions often fail because they are set "based on what society is asking you to change”—not what we want to change ourselves.

Combine that New Year’s resolution pressure with the stress our world serves up every day and what do you get? A perfect storm for a stressful January. But we want to help you do things differently. Here at Shine, we believe it’s time to rethink New Year's resolutions and prioritize the things that make us feel good in 2018. And we hear that you're feeling the same. When polled, 72 percent of Shine users said prioritizing mental health and self-care is a priority in 2018.

72 percent of Shine users said prioritizing mental health and self-care is a priority in 2018.

To help you do that: We’re launching our Feel Good Challenge 2018, which makes it easier to prioritize the things that make you feel good. The challenge is simple: For 30 days straight, starting on January 1, do one thing every day that makes you feel good. Yup, that’s it—just prioritize feel-good goals.

We know that staying motivated to achieve a goal is pretty hard—in fact, 82 percent of Shine users said “sticking with it” is the hardest part of a New Year’s resolution—so throughout the month of January, Shine will give you the tools you need to set and keep up with your feel-good goals.

Here’s how to get started on the Feel Good Challenge:


1. Read your daily Shine Text all month long for daily motivation and articles to help you discover and prioritize the things that make you feel good.

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2. Listen to the new “Set Feel Good Goals” Mindful Moment in the Shine app for iOS to learn how to make things you enjoy a habit.

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3. Check-in on one thing that you’re doing each day to feel good using the brand new daily check-in feature in the Shine app for iOS.

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4. Share one thing you’re doing each day that makes you feel good on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter using #FeelGoodChallenge2018. Follow @shinetext to see what other Shine members are doing, and track your progress using this #FeelGoodChallenge2018 tracker.

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Need some inspiration? Here are some of the goals members of the Shine Squad are setting in 2018 to feel good.

“Use my accrued vacation time for ME (not kids or husband or chores or doctor appointments!) -- minimum 1 FULL DAY per month.” - Erin T.

“Read at least 5 books just for fun, not for anything school-related!” - Jenna L.

“I’m getting back in the habit of writing at least one “just because “ note to a friend a week. I forgot how good it feels to get that “thank you for thinking of me!” text.” - Lauren G.

Let’s leave some things behind in 2017—fidget spinners, unicorn frappuccinos, and resolutions that make us feel bad.

P.s. Here’s more on what the Shine community thinks about New Year’s Resolutions

Read next: Here Are the Top 10 Shine Texts of 2017