Just as I did in 2014 and 2015, I feel compelled to spell out my goals for the upcoming year. Reflection is important and by sharing my thoughts here I’m held somewhat accountable.

Photo taken at Nauset Marsh Trail on Cape Cod a few days ago.

I feel really good about 2015. As my Year in Review demonstrates, there were so many treasured moments of the past twelve months. I hit a good balance with work, family time, and travel. It was the most time I’ve spent with my family since graduating high school and we made some really great memories on Cape Cod over the summer and participating in Christmas activities this past month. I visited to two new countries (Iceland and Portugal) and returned to an old favorite (Spain) on a month-long trip abroad. And I worked on some of my favorite TV projects to date — the Tony Awards and The Wiz Live! Plus I got to return to Young & Restless for five months; it was such a gift to reunite with my co-workers. And I was truly bi-coastal this year, splitting my time between Los Angeles and New England — that has been ideal, as the majority of the people I love in this world live in one of those two places.

Now for my New Years Resolutions for 2016:

• Focus on health. Count calories and work out more. I am beyond the upper limit of my usual weight range and now is the time to do something about it. I also rarely do more than walking or hiking for my workout — both of which are great — but I need to up the intensity. As always, I want yoga to be a bigger part of my life.

• Figure out how to license my photography and turn it into a source of income. I’ve put this off for far too long. During the years I was actively traveling that was a legit excuse, but this should have happened in 2015 and I will tackle it this upcoming year. Last year I also pledged to put together a book of my travel photos, even if it was just for family and friends, and I still very much want to do that. 2016, the pressure is on!

• Sort out some big decisions. I’m at an interesting juncture in my life. I’ve ticked off the big things that 10 years ago I most wanted to accomplish — work in soaps, travel the world, develop my photography skills. Now it’s time to set some new goals. What do I want out of my 30s? Professionally, where do I want to head from here? Personally, do I want to look for a partner, something I’ve put zero time and effort into thus far? Altruistically, what ways can I give back to this world that has been so good to me? I don’t need concrete answers to these right away, but 2016 will be the year that asks the questions.

• Travel to at least one new country. This is a recurring annual goal. I am itching to get to Central America. We’ll see if that happens in 2016, but regardless, I pledge to set foot in at least one country I’ve not been to before.

To be honest, this list could be a lot longer, but those are the big ones so I’ll cut it off there.

In the immediate future, I’m flying to Los Angeles tonight and will likely be there for the next 2-ish months. Big news buried at the bottom of this post: I’m working on Grease Live!, the next big TV musical airing on Fox on January 31st. I am so thrilled to be a part of bringing another musical to a nation-wide audience. Aside from that, I can’t wait to be reunited with my LA friends.

I hope 2016 brings more quality time with family, too. I am surrounded by some very special people and I want to maximize time with them.

Cheers to a new year and a new chapter.

XOXO, Erica