Happy Friday!

It’s the first Friday of 2018, and our first edition of Our Favorite Headlines since most of us returned from our holiday vacations. With that in mind, we’re keeping things pretty light in this week’s roundup. Today, we have four thought-provoking and inspirational articles that fit nicely into a little theme we can’t get enough of this time of year: new year, new (and/or improved) you.

Check them out below!

The Takeaway: Staying on top of trends is a big part of our job, especially those in the design and marketing world. These four design trends are important to keep in mind as you plan various project for this year, whether they’re print, digital, or any combination of the two. Just remember: always carefully consider if a trend or style fits your brand before you adopt it. If your brand is sleek and sexy, an “organic” design will dilute your message and confuse your audience. It’s good to be creative, but keep in mind that your audience should be able to recognize your work out in the wild.

The Takeaway: It was apropos that I stumbled on this article this week because just a few days earlier, I just found a sticky note in my desk with the opening quote scribbled on it. Fair warning: this Medium post raises more questions than it has answers for, but – as author Geoff Pilkington points out – there is value in asking questions. If you’re not sure what a successful 2018 might look like for you, a good place to start would be answering the questions Pilkington lists at the end of the post.

The Takeaway: It may be hard to hear, but as a human being, it’s likely that you have one or two habits that might be sabotaging your credibility. Don’t stress out if you realize you’re guilty of one or more of these; the first step is acknowledging that a habit might be making you look bad. Once you recognize it, you can take the steps you need to make sure those pesky habits won’t get in your way!

The Takeaway: The idea behind this article is so simple, and yet strangely elusive. Our days are measured in time – the time we spend at work, the quality time we get with our families and friends, and the hours we spend sleeping and refreshing our brains. So instead of throwing all your tasks on written to-do list that will leave you feeling overwhelmed and uncertain, why not try organizing the things you have to do with in the same way you organize the time you have to do them?

Do you have articles to share that are particularly interesting or relevant? Let us know in the comments, or on Facebook or Twitter.