Well Happy New Year, guys!! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas, that you drove safely, ate much, laughed merrily, and made some amazing memories that you plan to cherish for a long, long time!
Quick announcement here, if you haven’t seen the 2019 Wrap-Up already (and, actually, even if you have), it’s sort of a first part to this post. They are independent of each other, but they also go hand in hand. That said, I had some issues with the photos in the post, and I think they should all be resolved by now…hopefully XD So, if you did or if you didn’t, go check out the previous post! 🙂
It’s 2020!
Can you believe it?! Wow, time really does fly! The older I get the more I understand that saying deep, deep in my soul. And, of course, with every new year comes new goals! Resolutions, plans, dreams, goals, etc. (For more on how to set achievable goals, see Growing With Goals!)
Y’all know how important living on purpose is to me. Living intentionally is something I’m passionate about. I think we all have the potential to do great things, to make a lasting impact, to live out our God-given purposes and to become the men and women He made us to be. And goals are a tremendously important part of that.
So, today, I want to run through a few goals that I have with you guys! I want to share partly because it helps me keep things organized in my brain, partly for accountability purposes, partly to have something tangible to look back on, and partly so you guys know what to expect from me and GraceBought in this fresh new year.
Reading Goals
I’ve used Goodreads’s Reading Challenge tool for many years now, and I love it. If you’re at all a reader, I would highly recommend checking it out–and Goodreads as a whole, if you’re new to it.
So, for this year, I think I’m going to set my goal for 60 books again. Of those 60 books, I do plan to set the same goal of reading 12 non-fiction books this year. I’m also planning to finish the Keeper of the Lost Cities series once and for all and reading all of K. M. Shea’s Timeless Fairy Tales books. Additionally, I plan to check out something by Lucy Tempest and A. G. Marshall, two new authors I’ve run into recently.
Other than that, I’m pretty open so far! I’ve got a list of books I’d like to get read sooner rather than later, but I can be flexible. 🙂 What about you guys? What books, series, authors, etc. do you plan to dig into for 2020?
GraceBought Goals
Wow, GraceBought will be two years old next month! How cool?! My little GB started out as a rocky exploration and has turned into something I truly treasure and desire to actively improve.
It’s still a bit of a hobby for me, a creative outlet, and I do still feel like there’s a lot to learn about the blogging world. However, I really enjoy the book blogosphere and feel GraceBought is stronger there than in other areas.
For this year, I plan to continue to post consistent Book Reviews. This is one of my favorite parts of GraceBought and I’m definitely going to keep going with it. I do want to continue to post series reviews as well as standalone reviews. I also plan to post more non-fiction reviews this year than I did last year. The first year I started, I posted about one non-fiction review a month, and I think I’d like to try to go back to that, or at least one every other month.
I also plan to continue the WWWednesdays, posting those on the last Wednesday of each month. I’ve thought about perhaps posting some poetry for Writings on Wednesday in addition to the short stories and flash fiction pieces I’ve begun to share. I’ve thought about sharing WIP info and snippets, but I’m not sure the story is in a place it’s ready to be shared or even that posting partial snippets is a good idea in and of itself. (Do you guys have any thoughts to share on that end?)
I plan to post at least two Author Spotlights throughout the year, but maybe more. We’ll see. And, I’d like to post a few old Tags on Tuesdays I’ve left in my draft folder for far too long. Tags are fun and I don’t want to neglect the fun, lighthearted part of GB either.
Writing Goals
I have several writing goals for 2020 and I’m very excited about them. Here are a few of them!
First of all, I intend to return to the second YDubs writing conference in June (YAYAYAYAYAYAY! SO EXCITED!)!!! I will be there! I also want to check out Realm Makers. I hear that’s a good writing conference, and I want to expand and go to other conferences, too. (Hey, if you’ve been to any or know of any you recommend, please leave a comment and let me know! I’m on the hunt!)
You grow in what you focus on and I read once that you should make a goal to read at least one book a year on a topic you care about; for instance, one parenting book a year, or one book on marriage a year to work on your marriage, etc. Consequently, I intend to read at least one book on writing in 2020. I made the same goal in 2019 and let time slip by so I’m only partway through that writing book now.
I intend to be even more diligent and intentional here on GB as another writing goal. Additionally, I plan to do critiques more regularly in my writing group on YDubs. With the chaos of the last year or two, I’ve fallen off that wagon a little and I want to do this more consistently. So, my goal is to critique at least once a month as a Storysmith. <3
Personal Goals
Personally, I have a few other goals, too. One of the big ones I’m excited about is to cross Niagara Falls off my bucket list! I’m planning to go sometime this year and see them, either Spring or Summer, I think.
I plan to continue serving in my church orchestra and attending the women’s Bible studies weekly. Additionally, I’m setting the goal of reading three devotionals this year. I’ve had success in restoring my morning quiet time over the last few months, and I fully intend to maintain that throughout this year.
I love writing letters, so I’ve made a goal of writing one to my grandparents every other month. I miss being so close to them and go to visit at every chance I get. (Hehe, I’m actually visiting with them now! We’re at the beach!!)
Alright, enough about me! What about you? What are some of your goals for this year?? Are there exciting places you’re planning to go or people you intend to visit? What bucket list item are you going to pursue this year? Share with me and let me know! We can cheer each other on and herald in this great new year together <3
Love always,
Coralie