One of the most harmful things about unfettered capitalism is the idea that you must always be striving to “improve”, “level up” or grind your way to greatness. Capitalism wants you to believe you’re not enough, or that some part of you is always needing to be fixed; because it’s easier to sell products and services to people that believe who they are is inherently bad.

We can reject all this by setting goals that are about fun, silliness, joy, and pleasure for the sheer sake of it. Instead of making goals for yourself that are about changing or fixing yourself, what if you sought out goals that were about making life enjoyable and exciting? Goals that let you experience life from a place of self-love and acceptance?

Here’s a few ideas to get you started:

Make it a QUEST. You can set a goal that is based on a grand, adventurous search. Maybe it’s a quest to walk every labyrinth in a 50 mile radius of home. Or a quest to learn as many back roads of your town as possible. You can make a quest to photograph yourself with every piece of public art in a nearby city. Food is also a great place to begin with quests. Make a quest to try every pasta shape you can get your hands on. Or a quest to figure out which restaurant in your city makes the best french fries.

Get adventurous with your palate. Your goal can be to try to expand your flavor horizons. Maybe it’s finding a wine tasting class. Or adding one new fruit a week to your grocery basket. You can also go wild experimenting with new spices!

Become an connoisseur. A “connoisseur” is someone that has an expert knowledge of something. Maybe you want to be a connoisseur of hamburgers. Or ice cream. Or kombucha. You can become a connoisseur of Disney queue line music, jigsaw puzzles, or Hallmark Christmas movies. Truly, you can become a connoisseur of anything you deeply love.

Switch it up with your wardrobe. Maybe your closet feels uninspiring. How might you zhuzh it up in a really fun way? Try theming one day a week around a specific color (think Mean Girls, “On Wednesdays we wear pink”.) Or consider having a signature accessory like statement earrings or brooches like Madam Albright.

Make your goals seasonal. It’s okay to have some fun goals that are only for part of the year. My friend, Hannah, does this brilliantly with her “Warm Drink Wednesdays” in the fall and winter, and then switching it up to “Cold Treat Wednesdays” when the weather heats up.

Revisit what you loved as a kid. There’s a good chance that the stuff you loved doing as a child is still relevant to you today. Loved rollerskating? See if there’s a roller rink in driving distance and take an afternoon to lace up those skates again! Did you beg for a giant art set for Christmas when you were 7? Sign up for an art class at your local community center. There’s usually a grown up version of most fun “kid” things if you’re willing to look for it.

Invite a friend. Having another person share in the silliness will not only hold you accountable to actually doing the fun thing, but will also add to your experience. Go ahead – ask your friend if they want to join you in the boxed mac-and-cheese taste test.

What goals will you set for yourself this year?