Wrapping up 2021, Looking Ahead to 2022

If I had a nickel for every time in the past 6 months or so that I said I was getting myself organized and ready to return to the blogging world, I’m pretty sure I’d be halfway to being a millionaire by now HAHA. 2021 was a CRAZY year to say the least. I sold my house in NY, picked up and moved to PA, and have been working towards getting established and (quite literally) finding out who I am again. Life since the world shut down has been one big crazy rollercoaster ride for me, but I’m finally feeling settled into a new normal and have been experiencing spiritual/emotional/mental healing that’s been long overdue. The time in PA has shown me just how badly I needed to get out of NY and the environment I was in, and thankfully I can finally feel myself breathe again. I didn’t do one of these posts in 2020 but thankfully I’ve been looking forward to it for this year.

So first, a bit of a wrap-up for 2021:

I started the year out with my fairly typical goal of 100 books (although in the past several years–minus 2020–I surpassed that number by quite a bit). Through packing and moving and all the craziness that has been life, I’ve still managed to read 80 this year which I am still considering a win. (If you want to read a little more about this read my post: Confessions of a Bookaholic in 2021).

The beginning of the year was pretty rough for me to be able to maintain any level of focus while reading, but thankfully much of that has been returned to me after the move. I’ve read some amazing books this year, and some of them I didn’t even know how badly I needed them until I was deep into the middle of them. (Shout-out to Night Bird Calling by Cathy Gohlke). They are ones that I will forever be grateful for.

As far as social media presence goes, that managed to take a back-seat this year as well, although I DID try to be more of a presence on Instagram since it’s such a popular platform for people to be on, but I still have a ways to go (more on that in a moment).

You may have noticed that a few months ago I did a major update to the blog that made the look of review posts different while making it easier to catalogue them. I still have a lot of work to go in updating past posts, but I think the new setup is a lot easier to work with moving forward.

Although I tried to write thoughts down in a creative journal, I also have to admit I didn’t do much of the writing I was hoping to this year either. While I AM working on some things, it’s another area I need more discipline in to focus and move forward.

And now looking forward to 2022:

I definitely need to work on my social media presence, especially creating quote graphics as well as cover ones for Instagram. I’m great with flagging quotes, just not so great as doing anything with them in the end before moving-on to the next read. This is something I very much want to get better with.

I need to do A LOT better about visiting and commenting on other blogs. I’m better with social media but the blogs definitely deserve more of my attention.

My reading life has improved greatly in the past 6 months or so, but I would really like to get back to a normal like I was before. I’ve missed reading, and my TBR has managed to keep growing exponentially faster than my read list.

Even more than reading books, I want to make this year a year of drawing closer to the Lord and spending more time in His Word. In 2020 I started joining in on a Precepts study group that lasted through the middle of 2021, but I’ve decided to continue with more of those studies on my own because of how much I loved them. I even have another friend (Jessica from A Baker’s Perspective) joining me now and we have just started a study in James. I’m glad to have a friend joining not only for accountability, but for the extra growth that studying with others helps foster.

Something I’ve never done before but I’m ready to dive into is a gratitude journal. I purchased one that is laid out almost like a planner but has space to add something for every day of the year. (If you have any interest in joining me click HERE. –I DO get rewards points if you shop the link, but so do you! 😉 I found the site on my own–not through anything blog or review related).

As I said above, I hope to work on some writing of my own in the coming year as well. I’ve been writing in my creative journal for the projects and ideas I can’t get on a tangent with right now, but I also need to be more disciplined to sit and focus on what I’ve already been working on. Confidence has been a bit of an issue too, but I’m getting there.

I hope to improve my abilities as a VA this year and be more effective in that role.

I’ve already purchased my ticket to FRS in May, and I’m strongly considering the ACFW conference in September as well. We’ll see what happens with that, but it would feel really good to get to see all my bookish sisters in person again and give them big giant squeezes.

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There are obviously more things I’d like to be intentional about this year, but that’s at least a start. What are some goals YOU have for the next year moving forward?