Earlier this week I wrote out my goals for 2015. The original list had an even dozen. Now, there are 13.

Here’s the one I just added to the list: I want to fail more in 2015.

You see, 2014 was a great year. But in some respects—especially when things got busy—I played it safe. As my grading stacks piled higher, I took fewer risks. As my planning lists grew longer, I stepped out of my comfort zone less often. And this tendency away from risk in the busy seasons stifled my overall growth in 2014.

The year before (not-so-coincidentally, the year I joined Twitter and started blogging) I took more chances, tried more new things. To be sure, I struggled and failed in 2013. Often, in fact. But every time I fell, I fell forward. These struggles and failures proved to be wonderfully productive, particularly with respect to expanding and deepening my educational philosophy, and closing the gap between that and my classroom practice.

So here’s my recipe for a growth-filled 2015: I’m going to take more risks. I’m going to fail more often. I’m going to develop a habit of stepping out of my comfort zone. When I struggle, I’ll do it productively.

And through this risking-struggling-failing-growing, I’m going to have my best year yet.