If you are taking part here is the direct link for DAY 1 Your Blogger Resolutions
Happy New Year everyone. Its Day 1 of the Book Blogger New Year's Challenge. Are you excited to take part in this? I know I am really happy.
If your like me every year you make a ton of New Year's resolutions. Half of them you succeed at and the other half never happens or you don't follow through with them. So this year I decided I am going to make more realistic resolutions and ones I know I can actually follow through with. So here is my New Year's Resolutions for 2014.
The first set I am going to talk about relates to blogging:
- Blog daily. This year I want to make it a point to blog daily (if possible).
- Read and Review. I really need to get into that habit of reading a book and reviewing it right away. That is something that slipped for me last year. I am making it a point this year to read one book and review it before starting a new one.
- Commenting/Networking/Interact. I need to get into the habit of commenting on my posts. This has always been a pet peeve of mine and now I need to fix that. I need to pimp my blog more and put myself out there. I need to get more involved with the blogging world.
- Organize. I need to sit down and plan out my week with what I want to post and try and stick to that schedule. This will allow me to schedule posts in advance.
- Vlogging. I want to get more into that this year. This will probably consist of book hauls, shelf tours etc.
My personal resolutions are:
- Managing my time. With being a stay at home mom, volunteering at my son's school library and being a hockey team manager I need to work on this. This will require me to plan out my week in advance so I am not feeling rushed all the time and feeling as though nothing is getting done.
- No Buy. I have put myself on a no make up buy ban and I am forcing myself to stick with that because this past week I have been cleaning up and wow I have alot of stuff that I really don't need. That will be an upcoming blog post. I will also be limiting myself in book buying as well. I have been really good about that since the fall because I am no longer an iReward member at Chapters instead I am a plum reward member. Perhaps that will be a future blog post talking about the differences and how it affect my spending there.
- Organizing. I mentioned above how I have been cleaning up and I am amazed at how much stuff I actually have and own. I decided in 2014 I really need to trim things down and keep only what I need and use. Things that have been sitting unused for the past year or more really needs to find a new home. Over the course of this year I will share those posts with you.
- Journaling. I use to do this when I was in high school and when I moved to Montreal but then getting married and starting a family it fell to the side. I think this will be theraputic for me.
- Getting Healthy. I realized recently that I am so out of shape its not even funny. I was doing really good up until we got back from Hungary. Since then the weight I lost is now back plus some, I have been feeling really blah and unmotivated lately. I have also noticed that I get sick quicker and it lingers so I think getting healthy with eating and exercise will do me good.
So those are my New Year's resoluitons for my blog and personally. What are yours? Do we share anything in common?
Vlogging sounds cool. I've always been interested in that. I hope you try it! Check out my resolutions at http://myviewpointonbooks.blogspot.com/2014/01/book-bloggers-new-years-challenge-day-1.html :)
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year Cindy!
ReplyDeleteBlogging every day is a pretty lofty goal, but I know you can do it (you have that Canadian magic)!
I need to be in read and review mode as well. If I don't review it right away it usually doesn't get done.
I need to clean house too and get rid of the things I don't use/need. It's just so hard and time consuming though!
I loved keeping a diary in high school. I find myself coming back to keeping a diary every year even if the practise is short lived. My most recent one has been focussed on school related anxieties and has helped me to get past them. Good luck with yours! I recommend buying a notebook that you really like the look of to get you started. A brand new and attractive notebook always gets me excited to break it in!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by at my blog! :)
Good luck with the rest of your resolutions and happy new year!
- Farhana @ Digesting The Words
Great goals! Organizing is a HUGE help for me. I'd die without my planner and notes!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your goals, sug. They all look totally doable. Can't wait to see some Vlogs!
I agree Vlogging sounds pretty cool. I actually haven't decided on any personal goals. Good luck and happy new year. Lacie @ Rainy Dayz Reviewz
ReplyDeleteGreat thoughts Cindy!
ReplyDeleteExcellent goals Cindy! I need to work on reviewing as soon as I finish the book instead of picking up the next one, as I tend to forget what I wanted to write. Also need to work on networking and comments.
ReplyDeleteLove the idea of a journal, and am thinking about starting one myself. I used to always have one by my side, but I stopped writing years ago for some reason. I still collected them, just didn't use them. Might as well put them to good use, eh?
Good luck! And happy new year!
I think this is going to be a great year blogwise for us, Cindy! I agree that we need to form some kind of comment pack! I too need to get organized. I actually requested a book for Christmas that I already owned! Fortunately Aaron couldn't find it at the store and did find it on our shelves, so he wrapped it up with the other books he bought me, lol. And don't get me started on my kindle books! Actually, do get me started. It's time to get organized, but it's harder now that I'm working full time. Oh, well, it needs to be done!
ReplyDeleteI am so with you on the getting healthy resolution!!! I let myself go since the summer and I've never felt so rundown, lethargic and "blech" in my life!!! I've started a "diet" (just eating better) and exercising this week so hopefully in a month I'll feel better!!! Great resolution (the other's too!!)
ReplyDeleteOH! And I have a problem, too, with reviewing right after I read a book so I take notes on the book. It totally helps me. Try that if you're not already doing it :D
Happy New Year and good luck!!!!
Kate- I am hoping for a great 2014 for us. Yes we do need some kind of comment pack LOL you know you have to many books when you start requesting books you already own LOL I think to get organzied we need to make some time and do a little each time.
ReplyDeleteAlexia- I got some pretty journals that I need to start using instead of looking at. I think its so easy to get in that trap of reading reading reading instead of reading reviewing reading reviewing.
Thanks for the comment Sheila and Lacie
Bunny I am pretty organized with my agenda and notes, you should see my desk and agenda LOL
Farhana I agree you need a pretty journal to write in. I have quite a few that I have bought but never used and I think I need to get back into writing. They need to be used instead of looked at.
Kimberly I think we all fall into that trap and I am usually good in the beginning of the year but then things happen and I fall behind. I have a stack of books that need to be reviewed, I guess I have to reread them LOL
Dabin I have vlogged before but that fell to the way side and I really want to get out and do more vlogs. Its just finding the time to edit and upload that gets me LOL
Thanks everyone for your comments today
Your blogging and personal resolutions sound great! I hope to work on being healthier in 2014 and I am on a no buy plan for a while too. :)
ReplyDeleteBest of luck blogging daily and doing more reviews. One thing that has helped me write my reviews after I finish a book- is I send myself an email and I dictate the review (I use my phone, but you can use dragon software). The oral review- gets typed as I talk and I have my basic review written. It still takes time to to tidy up the review and get it ready, but I don't forget my thoughts and I am ready to start another book. :)
Happy 2014!
~Jess
Quote: "I need to pimp my blog more and put myself out there. I need to get more involved with the blogging world".
ReplyDeleteLOL I do agree on my part. This is exactly what I want to do.
Making the best of one's time is not easy when one is married...or simply an adult. I learned that from experience. You know, it's something I have to work on a bit as well. Both luck to both of us! ;)
I agree with all your goals! Especially the getting healthy one, reading and review adds up to too much sitting down! For me anyway :O
ReplyDeleteI also need to review as soon as I read a book as I know the reviews I write immediately come across much better than the ones I leave for a while.
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ReplyDeleteI need to put myself on a no-buy too. I can't even walk into a thrift store without having buying books. I tell myself the same thing I tell my kid. If you can't carry it, you can't buy it. This means he never has more than two toys and I never have more than...uhhh...a half dozen books.
ReplyDeleteJess- that is a great tip. I know I do make notes and put them in the book. For me its just sitting to write the review. Do you happen to know what software it is?
ReplyDeleteRoberta- OMG there is never enough time in a day when you are a mother who has a child actively involved in hockey and curling LOL I never have time. Here is to pimping our blogs more in 2014
Trish I find I need to sit and review right away because anything that is left sitting sounds like a child wrote it or you have no idea what the book is really about. I wish I had a clone to write my reivews for me LOL
Lizzy I am hoping the no buy goes well for the both of us. I need to really think my purchases now more so then before