This is my third Christmas blogging, and I couldn’t end it properly without another yearly wrap up.

It’s important to me to live on purpose for a purpose. That means being intentional with all areas of my life. I don’t always measure up to that, but I do try. And I’m getting better day by day.

A huge part of living intentionally is taking the time to stop and reflect. I cannot move forward toward my goals strategically unless I assess where I am, what went well, and what didn’t. 

This year absolutely flew by for me. It hardly feels like it’s truly been a year since I wrote the last one of these. So much has happened, and I am beyond grateful for the incredible life I get to live.

So, without further ado, here’s my 2021 Wrap-Up

Reading Wrap-Up

My original reading goal this year was the same as last year: 60 books. In the middle of the year, I chose to adjust that down to 50. I wasn’t going to make 60 this year and I’m learning it’s okay to readjust goals when things change. 

That said, I also did a lot of non-Goodreads reading this year, too. Alphas/betas, brainstorming with Author Conservatory students, etc. (which was actually something on my goals for 2021 to increase, so yay!) So, I feel accomplished and I still hit my minimum of 50 (Haven’t broken that streak in at least 7 years!)

• My adjusted goal was 50 books–including 12 non-fiction, 3 devotionals, and 1 writing book.
• I’m currently at 48 books, but I’ve got 6 days left at the time of drafting this and I’m pretty sure I can swing it! 
• 14 of those were non-fiction. I read over three devotionals, but I only read part of two different writing books. That said, again, I did consume a lot of writing materials this year, so I still accomplished the goal of furthering my writing education, even if I didn’t do it through a book. 
• In 2020, I read 14,363 pages.
• And in 2021, I’ve read 13,816 pages so far.

I’m getting better at listening to audio books, though they still aren’t my favorite. They’re definitely better when the book is a re-read or when I really like the narrator. For example, I’m reading through the Harry Potter series for the first time, and I really enjoy that narrator. (I’ve got two books left!) Audio books are good for long road trips or long days at the airport, and I do tend to have several of those throughout the year. Learning via audio trainings through Author has really helped me to strengthen this method of learning, too.

I continued to read a few new children’s books, though not as many as last year. I do love children’s literature, but I read more middle grade this year, another genre I very much enjoy. I also re-read a lot this year, I noticed. A lot of old favorites, some to remember the story so I could finish the series, and some simply because I didn’t remember them very well at all but had loved them as a kid. 

I still didn’t finish Shea’s Timeless Fairy Tales (I will get you!!), but I got mostly through the Harry Potter books and all the way through Andrew Peterson’s books (in time for his Q&A with Author, too!). I even got to see Andrew Peterson in concert for the first time, which was really cool!

Truthfully, I’m slightly disappointed I couldn’t hit 60 books, and I’m not really confident I’ll surpass my page count for last year, but all in all, it was a pretty good reading year and I’m looking forward to next year.

GraceBought Wrap-Up

We’re coming up on our fourth year anniversary! Which is really cool!! This started out as just an experiment in bravery and blogging and it’s turned into a place to serve others and share goals, books, and life.

GraceBought continued to sit on the back burner this year, though intentionally this time. And I think it’s been really good for me to take the pressure off a fully-fleshed out, rigorous blogging schedule. In doing so, I’ve actually allowed myself to enjoy the ways I do engage here even more. I miss the book reviews when I don’t get them done in time and it’s shown me that I truly value continuing to do that here. 

I know at the beginning of the year I teased some updates and changes, and I do still plan to go through with those (hopefully in the next year or two). I just haven’t gotten to them yet. But more than that, I’ve learned it isn’t quite time for them yet. I have a plan and if I stick to it, GraceBought will still get to be part of the journey. Perhaps in new and more fun ways than I’d ever thought when first starting this little corner of the world.

And for my much-loved stats 😉

This is post 55 of 2021 and we’re at almost 46,000 words, which is down significantly from 2020 (but that was the plan!). As always, thank you for viewing, visiting, commenting, liking, etc. Thank you for being part of this journey 🙂 

Writing Wrap-Up

This honestly may be the most productive part of my life this past year! Writing has been going so very well, and I’ve wanted to update more thoroughly here. I just haven’t had the energy or time to do so yet! There were several writing wins for 2021–and a few of them quite huge accomplishments!

First, I’ve continued as a student in the Author Conservatory, and I cannot tell you more adamantly how amazing that experience has been. (You can see my review of the program here!) Author has given me the most blessed writing community, one I am privileged to serve in. And Author is responsible for much of my growth as a writer in this past year.

I attended my first Realm Makers writing conference, and roomed with the lovely Kara Swanson, while also making memories with some of the best writing friends a girl could have (my fellow Author students)!! I am soooo stoked to do it again next year!

Aside from the Young Writers Workshop conference of 2019 (a student-run conference of about 50 people that was legit like stepping into Narnia for three days. It was amazing, y’all), this was my very first writing conference. I’ve attended many music education conferences, but never a professional writing one (in person). I have attended a few virtual conferences in the past, and I’ll continue to do that, too. But next year, I’m planning to attend several more conferences.

It was a great experience. It reminded me a lot of the music ed conferences I’d attended in college, but this time, there were sessions on writing, which was amazing. And the people there I connected with are people I can’t wait to see again, people I want to build lasting friendships with. 

In addition to continuing my studies in Author and through writing conferences, I continued working with my writing mentor. He’s been a great encouragement and a wonderful instructor. I’ve learned much from him and I look forward to continuing to do so. 

But perhaps the biggest accomplishment of the writing year (which is greatly due to both Author and my writing mentor pouring into me) is that I completed my first original, solo novel. 

Yup.

I’ve co-written several novels. I’ve written novel-length fanfiction. I’ve written pieces of original novels, but never completed the book. And this year, I finally did it. 

If you’ll remember, last year, I made the difficult decision to set Lenora aside for a while. It was hard for many reasons, but one of them was that I felt like I was just not completing yet another book. But in September of 2020, I began plotting My Sister’s Fate. In March of 2021, I began drafting it. And in November, I completed the first draft after 8 months and 4 days. 

I’m really excited about this and definitely hoping to give you more information on the project in the future. But for now, I’ll just say that it has been an incredible walk with God and I am so very grateful that he chose me for this story.

Personal Wrap-Up

There is very little to my life in this season other than writing and work. But I’m happier than I’ve ever been. I’m pursuing my dream of writing–and making real progress with professional guidance. I get to see my sister sometimes when she comes home from college. I have an apartment where I can host visitors. I get to travel to see family and attend writing conferences. I have complete flexibility in my schedule. 

Last year was a test and a trial and a half in the job department, but September of 2021 marked my first year anniversary of working in the Young Writers Workshop and Author Conservatory. Guys, it doesn’t feel like it’s been a year. It feels like I just started. 

But I feel made to do this job. I feel like the job was cut out for me. And there aren’t words for how amazing this last year of working with these amazing people have been. I thank God everyday I get to do the work I do and grow alongside the people there. 

My work felt like another foundational chunk of my life settled right where God wants me. So, I look forward to where he’s going to take me next. 

In other news, my beautiful niece, Alaina, turned one this year and she’s as radiant as ever. She also became a big sister to my second little niece, Lilianna. I’m thrilled for my brother and his family and am definitely looking forward to spoiling them both rotten as they grow older. 

I also started cooking more again, lately. As a public school teacher, I didn’t have time to cook often. But in this new season of life, I’ve been exploring new recipes and taking the time to slow down and enjoy things I love again. 

There isn’t much more than that in this season, I’m afraid. But I’m so thankful you are here, a part of this crazy life I’ve been given. What about you, though? How did 2021 go for you?

What’s one thing you learned in 2021? What’s one thing you accomplished and you’re proud of? Leave a comment below so we can continue the conversation! 

And Happiest of New Years! May 2022 be the best year yet!