2017 is nearly over, and with the coming of the new year, I’ve set some goals for things that I want to do in 2018. Looking forward often means looking back and reflecting on the past. I had honestly forgotten what goals I had set for the year (that will be obvious once I tell you whether or not I came close to accomplishing them), but I still think it’s a good exercise to see how I did in 2017.
As a refresher, the goals that I shared in January were to blog more, save money, read more, and worry less. Here’s how I did:
BLOG MORE. I had grand plans for 2017 in terms of my blog, but unfortunately I wasn’t able to make blogging consistently a priority. I struggled a lot trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my blog. I even considered giving up. Although I don’t have many posts to show for this year, I was able to figure out what I want my blog to be, who I want to be as a blogger and what I need to do to be successful, while also being true to myself and the brand I want to create. Also, reflecting on this past year, I’ve realized that blogging wasn’t my priority this year, because it’s not what I needed.
SAVE MONEY. This is something I struggle with a lot. In some instances, I was able to curb my spending (ie. fewer trips to Sephora), but in others I wasn’t as successful. This isn’t something that I can give up on though, so expect to see this in one form or another in my goals for 2018.
READ MORE. Finally, something that I did accomplish in 2017! This year, I read 26 books, which is more than double what I read last year. This year I truly fell in love with reading again. I still had a few slumps, but more than not, I was happier to be reading than anything else during my spare time (which had a lot to do with my lack of blogging this year). Reading reminded me that books are a part of my soul, and that I feel most at home when I’m lost in one. I was also reminded of how much I love being a writer.
WORRY LESS. This is something that I am constantly struggling with. While I was able to worry less about some things this year (like how perfect our home appears when we have guests over), some things made me worry even more (like my anxieties about getting pregnant and having kids). One thing I have learned this year is that when I take things one day at a time and focus on what I can control (and giving up on what I can’t), I am much happier, and though my anxieties may not go away, they start to diminish ever so slightly.
Looking back on how I did with 2017, I could easily see this year as an almost complete failure as I really only accomplished one goal concretely. However, I’m choosing to use this as a teaching moment for myself. I am going to make mistakes, and fall short of who I want to be. But when I set goals and give myself every opportunity to meet them, I can do it. And if I don’t, I just try again the next day.
Did you set goals this year? How did you do at accomplishing them?
