2017 was a dumpster fire of a year for me in a lot of ways. After being laid off from my decent (~28k/year) job, I struggled to get even a shitty job. I had to move back home, which isn't a comfortable situation, and whatever smidgen of social life I had was lost. My self-esteem really took a nosedive, and so did my appearance.
I decided that I was going to change the situation in 2018, and it's working. I made plans to move out, cut off some old ties that were holding me back, and started working (in earnest) on the things that are important to me, like my studies and crafting. I also made the decision to start being more authentically me (as opposed to toning it down around "normies") and just let whatever shit comes my way roll off my back.
The only downside to all this is the amount of money I've blown through in the last week. Between buying basics I'd not been able to afford for a year, repairing some electronics, and having a few dream items pop up, I've spent over half my (small) tax refund in a week.