My 2021 Reading and Writing Goals

At the end of my last post, I mentioned that my word for 2021 is ‘Present’, supported by ‘Simplify’, ‘Connect’, and ‘Balance’. I spent most of 2020 feeling discombobulated and disconnected, and this year I want to be more mindful of how I spend my time, what I choose to focus on, and creating a healthy, sustainable work-life balance.

Reading Goals

With ‘simplify’ in mind, I decided not to join any bookish challenges this year. I’ll be doing my yearly Goodreads goal (I’ve set it at 90 books, same as last year), but last year I signed up for various year-long challenges on bookstagram and blogs, and I spent more time focusing on the challenge aspect than actually reading. I don’t want reading to ever feel like a chore; it’s something I do for pleasure and to relax and escape.

Because of that, I’ve also decided I’m going to try to limit the number of ARCs I request and accept. I got so bogged down in review books last year and barely read any of the books on my own shelves or Kindle. I love getting review books and it’s a privilege I don’t take for granted, but I want to have the freedom to go with my mood and not what I feel I ‘have to’ read because of release deadlines and commitments. There are dozens of books that have been sitting on my shelves for years and I feel like they’re mocking me.

My other reading goals are things I want to continue from last year:

★Read more diversely (last year about ⅓ of the books I read fit this goal, but I know I can do better and read more books by and about BIPOC and the LGBTQ+ community)

★Read more books by Canadian authors (last year I read 17)

★Read more books by indie authors (last year I read 19)

★Read more backlist books (I didn’t specifically keep track of those last year, but the vast majority of the books I read were new releases)

Writing Goals

In 2020, I wrote chunks of three different novels, as well as a complete novella. My goal for 2021 is to complete those three partially-finished WIPs, and possibly the half-finished book I started writing in 2015. To make those goals less daunting, I’ve decided I’m going to start setting quarterly goals. I’m hoping by doing this I won’t be so overwhelmed by the big picture and my goals will feel more manageable.

My main writing goal for the first quarter of 2021 is to finish the first draft of the next book in the Perry series. I don’t plan to publish it until the fall, but since it’s my most recent project, I want to finish writing it early in the year and be ahead of the game. If I finish it before the end of March, I’ll assess my yearly goals and see which project to tackle next.

Smaller goals within that quarterly goal:

★Cut back on time spent on social media (as in less mindless scrolling)

★Put my phone out of reach when I’m working

★Set better working hours and take time for relaxation and self-care; I typically don’t do enough of that but when I do, it always helps with my creative flow, not to mention my stress levels

What are some of your reading and/or writing goals for 2021, or just general goals? Do you have big yearly goals or do you break them down into bite-size bits?

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January Recap & February Goals

I don’t typically believe in setting New Year’s resolutions. They seem like a set-up for failure. I read somewhere that a huge percentage of people give up their resolutions within the first few weeks, and only a tiny percent actually stick with them through the year. It’s not hard to believe. People want to make big changes in their lives, but don’t realize it takes commitment, a plan, and actionable steps. Or they realize it, but aren’t willing to work for it. After all, we do seem to live in a world of instant gratification and wanting things now.

That being said, when a new year rolls around, I can’t deny the pull of desire to attempt to create new habits and form fresh goals. I’m a goal setter by nature, so it makes sense for me to set yearly goals. To me, there are two keys to succeeding at my goals: 1) Being realistic, and 2) Breaking big goals into smaller, more manageable pieces. The less daunting they seem, the more likely I am to accomplish them, and I think that’s likely true for other people.

January was a month I’m extremely proud of. I accomplished most of my goals, and worked hard to form new daily habits.

What I accomplished in January:

• I read 10 books (my goal was 8)

• Daily habits: I started a habit tracker in my bullet journal so I could get into the habit of doing certain things every day. This has worked with varying degrees of success before, but in January there were very few squares left blank, which makes me happy. A couple of the things I succeeded at every single day were having breakfast and doing my Duolingo French lessons. This is the first time I’ve ever hit a 31-day streak on Duolingo!

• A big thing I want to work at in 2018 is eating healthier (I have specific smaller goals for this, since ‘eat healthier’ is way too broad and vague and I think that’s part of why people don’t stick to it; it needs to be a lifestyle change if you’re really committed to it) and moving more. I ate more fruits and veggies in January than I did in the last several months combined. I’m not even kidding. I also made a conscious effort to reduce my sugar intake - less sweets, less sugar in my coffee, making sure to read labels to check for sugar content. I drank lots of water every single day, went 21 days without pop (considering I normally had pop almost every day, that’s huge for me), and cut back on alcohol. I also made a point to move every day and typically got at least half an hour of walking in, plus simply getting up from my desk and moving around more often. I didn’t set a number-related goal because I’ve done that too often and ended up disappointed, but I did lose almost 5 pounds and I’m thrilled with that.

• My biggest goal was to write my Christmas novella, Christmas Wish. The other day, I thought I’d have to mark this as a ‘failure’ in my January goals. The story was going to be a standalone sequel to my 2017 Christmas novella, Mistletoe Kiss. I got thinking about it, and I realized in a way I did hit my technical goal. When I first started writing, it was meant to be a 20,000-ish word Christmas novella. I planned to release it in November with a cover similar to Mistletoe Kiss so people knew they were a standalone series. But then I got writing and the story took on a mind of its own, and after awhile, I knew it wasn’t meant to be a novella. Bridget’s story was quick and sweet and fluffy - something to read during the holidays as a pick-me-up or to help people get into the holiday spirit. I thought Ivy’s story would have a similar feeling, but Ivy had different ideas and she took things in unexpected directions. I love when that happens, so I’m not complaining at all, especially since I’ve struggled with my writing for so long. I hit the 20,000-word mark on January 29th, so I technically reached my goal, even though Ivy’s story (now no longer ‘Christmas Wish’ and in need of a new title) isn’t finished. I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished and where the story is going, so I’ll definitely call this a win.

Overall, I feel like I smashed my January goals. I didn’t get every single thing accomplished I’d hoped to, and I had days where I was frustrated or disappointed in myself, but on the whole, I’m proud of the things I managed to do. I’m feeling motivated and positive, and I’m going to do my best to keep the momentum going in February.

Speaking of February...

February Goals

• Continue with my daily goals of eating breakfast, Duolingo, lots of water, even less pop, making more conscious food decisions, upping my movement even more than January

• Read 8 books

• Finish writing Ivy’s story

• Work on cover redesigns (this is a big February goal, but for now I’m keeping it vague here...more to come!)

I’d also like to do a few things I’ve been saying forever I was going to do like yoga and meditation. I want to live a more conscious, mindful, purposeful life, and I feel like meditation especially would help me focus and clear my mind (which would be nice since my mind feels like it’s going eleventy billion miles an hour most of the time).

PS: If you saw my last post, in which I gushed about Helene Sula and pimped her Instagram for Success course, that course is still open for enrollment but only for a few more days. If you're looking for proven methods to improve your Instagram and want to learn ways to sell a product or service, make money through affiliates or sponsorships, or build an online community for any number of reasons, this course is definitely worth the money. You can check out my post with details and how I've benefited from the course here: The Instagram Game Changer: Helene Sula's Instagram for Success

How did you do with your goals in January? What are some of your goals for February?

You might also like:
 ☆ 6 Self-Care Resolutions to Make a Priority in 2018
  ☆Looking Ahead to 2018: My Word + Goals 
☆Why It’s Important to Take Pleasure in the Little Things

  ☆The Importance of Persevering When You Feel Like You’ve Lost Your Creative Spark

 

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Looking Ahead to 2018: My Word + Goals

Last week I shared some of my highlights of 2017. This week, I'm sharing some of my 2018 goals.

I've talked plenty about how the last two years have been difficult for me; between anxiety, depression, and family issues galore, I’ve found it hard to find motivation and even harder to stay focused. That’s why my Word for 2018 is Focus. Unlike most other years, 2018’s Word came to me with complete clarity a few weeks ago. I feel like it encompasses so much more than just the definition of the word itself entails.

I want to focus on the most important things in my life: my family, and the people closest to me. Focus on my writing, marketing, and publishing. Focus on my mental and physical health, and living a life of intention and purpose. Focus on my goals and bringing them to fruition. Focus on being present and enjoying life. Focus on the positive. Focus on my inner voice and listen to it when it tells me to fight my fears, push past my doubts, step outside my comfort zone, and also when it tells me to pull back, rest, and recharge.

I have a lot of plans for 2018, and yet I want to be realistic. While my first inclination is to DO ALL THE THINGS, I think that’s been my problem the last few years. I realize early on I can’t do all the things (at least not the way I initially imagine) and then I get overwhelmed and lose motivation, drive, and, yes, focus. I’ve spent a lot of time thinking this over, putting down the ideas swirling through my brain, and I think my goals for 2018 are realistic and manageable.

My 2018 Goals:

*Write Christmas novella

*Write short story to offer as a freebie to my newsletter subscribers

*Revise the romcom I wrote in 2017

*Finish writing book I’ve been calling my ‘secret project’ (a contemporary romance)

*Publish romcom in spring or summer

*Publish Christmas novella in November

*Create new covers for the Angel Island series (I love the original covers, but I feel like it's time for something fresh)

*Work on writing and scheduling regular content for this blog (I’m thinking one post per week, possibly two occasionally)

*Read at least 65 books (check out my GoodReads challenge and books read)

*Continue to grow my community on Bookstagram and Instagram. I can’t lie and say I don’t want to grow my following on both accounts, but making friends and connections is so much more important, and I’m lucky to have made so many amazing friends already.

*Take better care of myself. Eat healthier. Get more exercise. Get outside more. Take more time for self-care.

*Continue to work on being more mindful and present.

~*~*~*~*~*~*

I'm ready for a year of possibilities. Of adventures. Of setting and then smashing goals. Of change. Of laughter and happiness and love and positivity and challenges and hard work and wonderful new memories. I'm ready. Welcome, 2018.

What are some of your goals for 2018? Do you set daily, weekly, or monthly goals? Do you have a Word for 2018? I'd love to hear about your plans for the year ahead!

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2016 Reading Recap & 2017 Reading Goals

I read 97 books in 2016! My GoodReads goal was 80, so I was really excited to meet and then surpass that goal. 


Here are some stats about the books I read in 2016:

• # of Young Adult Books: 52

• # of New Adult Books: 13

• # of Adult Books: 27

• # of Graphic Novels: 2

• # of Middle Grade Books: 3

• # of DNFs (I still count these toward my overall number, because I give them a fair shot - typically 20-30% and since I'm a slow reader, that takes time): 8

• I read a lot of LGBTQ+ books this year and a few books that dealt with mental health, but I didn’t read many books with main characters who are POC, or written by marginalized authors. That's definitely something I want to change in 2017. 

• The majority of the books I read were contemporary. I added in a few miscellaneous genres like mystery, paranormal, and fantasy, plus I read three Middle Grade books, which I thoroughly enjoyed, as well as two graphic novels. Those are two things I'm going to be open to in 2017. 

• Read at least 85 books

• Branch out with genres. I have eclectic tastes, but my 2016 reading list didn't exactly reflect that. I'd like to read more historic fiction, science fiction, fantasy, paranormal, and mystery.

• Read more of the books I own, both on my shelves and on my Kindle

• This one ties into the one above: Read more backlist books (books published before 2016)

• Read at least 5 non-fiction books. I'm not a huge non-fiction lover, but I have a few in mind, and this ties into branching out with my reading.

• Read fewer review books. This is a goal I have every year, but I'm honestly determined to make the change this year. I think it would be realistic to set a goal of 50/50 - 50% 'me' books and 50% review books. I need to request fewer books and resist the temptation to download a ton of the books I'm auto-approved for. I'm going to try really hard to limit review books to ones I'm truly interested in/excited for.

• This isn't a goal so much as something new in 2017: no more reading challenges. I typically sign up for a ton of them and then after a few weeks or months, stop keeping track, stop sharing my links on the host blogs, etc. It's too much pressure and too much to keep up with. I'm doing the GoodReads challenge because it actually makes it easier to keep track of my books, plus I'm doing Bookish Bingo, and I might sign up for a few read-a-thons or mini challenges throughout the year, but no more year-long challenges. This is huge for me!

How many books did you read in 2016? Did you set a goal for this year? Have any other reading-related goals? I'd love to hear them! If you did a goal post, feel free to link me in the comments so I can visit. Also, stay tuned in the next few days for lists of some of my favourite books of 2016!

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Clean Slate Read-a-Thon Update

The Clean Slate Read-a-Thon is hosted by Novel Ink, Lost in Lit and Latte Nights Reviews. The idea is to read books we didn't get to in 2015 so we can have a clean slate for the new year!

Books Finished:

CURRENTLY READING:

Challenge #1 ~ Bookish Resolutions

The first challenge is hosted by Novel Ink. I shared some of my goals in my Getting Back to Basics post, but I'll expand here.


Reading 

• Read more 'me' books. I'm already doing well with this  one - out of the six books I've read so far this year, half were 'me' books and half were review books. That's pretty good for me, considering the last two years have been almost all review books.
• Read different genres. I have eclectic tastes and will read just about anything, but last year I read mostly contemporary and I miss paranormal, historic, fantasy, sci-fi, etc.
• Read more of the books I already own.

Blogging 

• Visit and comment on more blogs on a regular basis.
• Schedule posts ahead.
• Regularly brainstorm ideas for future posts.
• Create new content. I've already got one new feature - Thoughts and Daydreams - but I'd like to create at least one other unique-to-my-blog feature, plus stuff other than reviews and Wanderlust Wednesday.

Challenge #3 ~ Bookshelf Scavenger Hunt

This challenge is hosted by Lost in Lit. The idea is to find books on your shelves with the following:
1. A book with a seasonal cover
2. A book with a one-word title
3. A book with an animal on the cover
4. A book with a long title
5. A book with a couple on the cover

 

If you want to stay up-to-date on my progress for the read-a-thon, I'm posting on Instagram and Twitter!

 

Are you participating in the Clean Slate Read-a-Thon? How's the reading going? What are some of your bookish resolutions this year?

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Looking Back on 2015

Even though this won’t be posted until the first week of 2016, I’m writing this on the final day of 2015. I always get reflective this time of year, and this year isn’t any different. 2015 was one hell of a year. I travelled through the UK and Europe for 2 weeks; published two novels, a collection with my companion trilogy, and a short story; and had various adventures closer to home. I became closer with my two best friends, and spent quality time with my nephews and nieces. There have been a lot of ups and downs this year, but I’ve learned a lot, grown stronger, and I feel like I’m becoming a different person - in good ways.

3 Things I Learned in 2015

• I’m stronger, braver, and more capable than I give myself credit for. This is something I’ve just recently realized, embraced, and am proud of. It started with Europe; that whole trip was a giant shove out of my comfort zone. I worried my anxiety (especially my social anxiety) would kick in and cripple me, but it was actually the opposite. I was calm and confident, and during the moments where I thought I couldn’t do things, I took a deep breath, silenced the voices in my head, and charged ahead. It helped that I had Krista by my side, reminding me I’m capable and giving me a push when I needed it. There were a couple situations where I wanted to slam on the brakes and just say no, but her gentle persuasion and encouragement gave me the strength I needed. That wasn’t the only time, either. There were situations later in the year when I didn’t think I could do something and she gave me the push I needed. She told me recently that she knows I can do anything I put my mind to, but if I have trouble remembering that and need a push, she’s happy to give it. I’m so grateful to her for that.

• Depression is a rotten little bitch. This isn’t a new breakthrough - I’ve always known it, but this year in particular it was bad. I was in denial for the first part of the year. I thought it was because I was stuck in a rut. I knew my trip wouldn’t be a magic cure, but I thought it would help. It was after I came back that I had to face facts: my issues were more than just feeling unmotivated and unhappy; I have depression. I’ve struggled with it for years, and was even on medication a few years ago, but it didn’t help. I talked to a couple friends about it early in the year and got very little sympathy, encouragement, or support. It made it much more difficult knowing I was basically on my own, but I finally found a couple friends I could talk to who understand and sympathize. It’s still a struggle, but I won’t let this keep me down. I’m learning coping mechanisms, and hoping for a brighter 2016.

• That leads me into my final big lesson of 2015. This was something I started in 2014 and carried through this year. I learned who my true friends are, and I was ruthless with cutting out toxic people. I did a sweep in May, and another one in October. I refuse to allow people in my life who make me doubt myself, punish me for every perceived slight, take everything personally, purposely misconstrue everything I say, never take responsibility for their actions (or inaction), and make themselves the victim. I’m not perfect my any means, but I’m a very self-aware person, and have become even more self-aware this year. I’m aware of my flaws and shortcomings; there’s probably nothing you can tell me about myself that I don’t already know. I think that’s probably why I get irritated when something gets pointed out to someone and their first instinct is to deny and lash out and punish you for daring to show them they’re not as perfect as they think they are. I don’t need or want that negativity in my life. I won’t put up with it any longer. The drama and constant worry and always censoring myself because of fear of backlash was affecting my mental health, and after completely cutting off contact. I’ve felt much better. Healthier, saner. Something else I've learned: it's not selfish to do what's right for you. It's not selfish to make your mental health and well being a priority.

 My hopes for 2016

I’m going to keep this short and sweet. I’m putting into practice something my friend Krista has mentioned a few times: having no expectations. We’ve talked about the expectations we’ve had from certain people or situations and how we’ve ended up hurt and disappointed, so I’m applying the ‘no expectations’ on a bigger scale: the whole of 2016. Every year I say the new year will be amazing and the best ever and I set all these resolutions and probably have unrealistic expectations. Not this year. I’m going to do my best to make it a great year, but I’m keeping my expectations in check. 

 

Did you learn any big lessons in 2015? Did you stick to your resolutions? Meet your goals? Is there anything big you hope to accomplish in 2016?

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Thoughts and Daydreams #1: Getting Back to Basics

I've been friends with Jessica from Thoughts at One in the Morning for about five years now, and we've done a bunch of different projects together. We planned to create a Facebook group a few months ago called Thoughts and Daydreams, but after a lot of discussion and talking to online friends, we realized there are already so many FB groups and not enough time for everyone to post regularly in multiple groups. From there, the idea of a blog series was born. Each month we'll pick a reading- or writing-related topic and discuss it on our blogs. We also have a few other things up our sleeves, including giveaways and a couple events. We're thinking of eventually opening this up to other bloggers if there's any interest, so if you'd like to participate in the discussions, be sure to let us know in the comments and we'll work out topics and a link-up.

I've been blogging for 5 years now, and my blog (and I) have gone through a lot of changes in that time. The blogging world has grown so much, and while it's a wonderful thing, it also makes it feel sometimes like you're yelling into a void. There's no way everyone could ever visit and read and comment on all the blogs, so it can be easy to pick your favourites and stick with those, which means a lot of great new (and older) blogs go unnoticed, which can lead to bloggers quitting. I know I've had my fair share of moments where I've wondered if there's any point in going on with the blog, but I love it too much to give up. I've made some incredible friends, discovered new authors, and found a place online that feels like home.

There's also the pressure that comes with blogging. I feel incredibly blessed to get the ARCs I do, but it can really start to weigh you down. Over the last couple years, most of the books I've read are ARCs. I keep saying I'm going to read more 'me' books, but then a new batch of Harper titles becomes available on Edelweiss (auto-approval is a blessing and a curse!), or a book I'm excited about becomes available on NetGalley, or Simon & Schuster Canada, who I've had the good fortune to work with the last couple years, will send me a book or two, and I'm back to reading only ARCs. 

That's going to change this year, though. If I want to continue blogging and keep my passion for reading, I know I need to make some changes. So I'm getting back to basics.

My plan for getting back to basics

• Visit and comment on more blogs. Favourite blogs, brand new blogs, blogs friends like, blogs I find on Twitter. I've been horrible about commenting the past year, mostly because my computer is ridiculously slow and it takes forever, but it's something I need to make a priority.

• Make more connections. Followers and page views are great, and as much as I say the numbers don’t matter, I do like seeing them rise. BUT having readers and making friends is so much more important. I fell out of that last year and I really want to make an effort to meet new people, get to know acquaintances better, and make real connections. I miss feeling like a real part of the community.

• Read more 'me' books. I still have a ton of review books - I have ARCs left from 2015 and I have a ton of 2016 ARCs already. But I'm going to make an effort to read more of the books that have been sitting on my shelves and Kindle for weeks, months, or even years. I'm hoping the Backlist Books Reading Challenge will help with that.

• Create new content. In 2015, most of my content was book reviews, plus I started my Wanderlust Wednesday feature, which I plan to keep up this year. I want more, though. More discussion posts, more fun stuff, more personal posts. I'll still post lots of reviews, but I want to mix things up. I'd love to be known as a place where people can come to read honest reviews, but also find fun, original content.

• Cut back on review books. This is going to be tough, but I'll try my best. I'm only going to accept requests for books that really interest me, and I'll limit how many books I download from Edelweiss and request there and on NetGalley. I'm also going to worry less about publication dates unless an author or publisher has a specific timeline. Reviews help authors any time, so having a book read and reviewed by publication date isn't always a necessity. I think this'll reduce a lot of my stress when it comes to ARCs.

So, that's my plan for getting back to the basics when it comes to reading and blogging. Be sure to stop by Jessica's blog to read her thoughts on getting back to basics!

 

Do you have plans for blogging and reading this year? Are you making any changes? Adding new features to your blog? Reading more or less review books? How do you limit your stress when it comes to blogging? Let's talk here or on Twitter!

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2016 Reading Challenges

I wasn't going to sign up for any 2016 reading challenges, but I saw these three and couldn't resist. Contemporary romance is my go-to, plus I've been promising  myself for ages I'd read more backlist books, and I read as many LGBTQIA books as I can anyway, so these challenges shouldn't be too hard!

I'm also setting a few personal challenges for myself. 

If you're interested, you can keep track of my progress on my 2016 Reading Challenges page.

The 2016 Contemporary Romance Reading Challenge is hosted by Jess at Gone With the Words and Danielle at Love First Page. The challenge runs from January 1st, 2016 - December 31st, 2016, and you can read any contemporary romance. I'm signing up for Home Run level, which is 16-20 books. 

The Backlist Books Reading Challenge is hosted by Bekka and Alexia at Pretty Deadly Reviews. It runs from January 1st, 2016 - December 31st, 2016. There are no levels, but I'm going to aim to read at least 10 backlist books. 

The LGBTQIA Reading Challenge is another one hosted by Pretty Deadly Reviews. I'm committing to orange level: 6 - 12 books. 

Personal challenges:

• Read at least 80 books

• FINALLY read Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

• FINALLY read The Princess Bride by William Goldman

• Read at least 5 historic fiction books

• Read at least 5 fantasy or science fiction books

• Read at least 3 paranormal books

• Read at least 2 books by authors I loved pre-blogging

• Read at least 10 books that have been sitting on my shelves for a year or more

So, those are the challenges I'm participating in next year, plus some personal challenges/goals. Are you doing any reading challenges in 2016? Have any personal goals? How did you do with your goals/challenges in 2015?

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2015 Reading Progress

This year I did something I haven't done in a long time: I limited the number of reading challenges I signed up for. In fact, besides my yearly GoodReads goal, I only signed up for the Dive Into Diversity challenge. I've put way too much pressure on myself the last few years - too many ARCs, too many challenges, not enough reading strictly for pleasure. In 2013 and 2014 my reading was limited mostly to ARCs. While I'm grateful to have publishers send me books, to be approved for books on NetGalley and Edelweiss, and to have auto-approval for a couple publishers, it's a huge responsibility and can sometimes suck the joy out of reading. Many of my goals for this year weren't number specific, they were just genres, categories, etc., that I wanted to be sure I read a lot of.

Some of my reading goals for this year:
-Read at least 80 books
-Read as many diverse books as possible
-Read a variety of YA, NA, and adult
-Read a bunch of books by Canadian authors
-Read lots of historic fiction
-Read at least one 'me' book for every five or so review books

Here's how I've done so far this year:

You can check out all these books on my GoodReads challenge page

1. Thornhill by Kathleen Peacock
2. Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen
3. First Frost by Sarah Addison Allen
4. My True Love Gave to Me Anthology
5. I’ll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios
6. Between Everything and Us by Rebecca Paula
7. Every Breath by Ellie Marney
8. Rebound by Noelle August
Remember by Eileen Cook
9. The Distance Between Lost and Found by Kathryn Holmes
10. A Mad, Wicked Folly by Sharon Biggs Waller
11. Losing at Love by Jennifer Iacopelli
12. Zadekiel (Path of Angels #2) by Patricia Josephine
13. Trust the Focus by Megan Erickson
14. The Infinite by Lori M Lee
The Brilliant Light of Amber Sunrise by Matthew Crow
15. The Madness Underneath by Maureen Johnson
16. See Me by Wendy Higgins
17. Murder by Sarah Pinborough
18. Black Iris by Leah Raeder
19. Tides of Honour by Genevieve Graham
20. Simon Vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
21. With Every Heartbeat by Melody Grace
22. A Desperate Fortune by Susanna Kearsley
23. Carry Me Home by Lia Riley
24. Jophiel by Patricia Josephine
25. Far From You by Tess Sharpe
26. One Night by AJ Pine

Me Books - 9
Review Books - 15
Beta Read - 2
DNF - 2
Young Adult - 11
New Adult - 9
Adult - 5       
Historic Fiction - 4
Canadian Authors - 3
LGBTQ - 4

That's my reading progress for the year so far. How many books have you read? Did you make any goals at the beginning of the year? Are you sticking to them? What are some of your favourite books of 2015 so far? Let me know in the comments or chat with me on Twitter!

   
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Reflecting on 2014 and looking to the year ahead

Happy New Year, friends!

Between trying to get a million things done work-wise and having the Sickness From Hell, I didn’t get around to posting any 2014 wrap-up posts, so I’ll do it now. I mean, it is just the beginning of the new year, I can still reflect on last year, right? ;-)

2014 was a really strange year for me. It wasn’t great, it wasn’t awful, it just…was. I felt like I coasted through it. I was an observer more than a doer. I felt stuck a lot of the time - stuck in a rut, stuck in my life, stuck in my relationships, just STUCK. It was horrible, and I didn’t know how to fix it. I feel like I forgot how to really live. My heart and mind and maybe even my soul hibernated through most of 2014, and today I’m waking up. Today I’m making a conscious effort to wake up and live again. I know that midnight on New Year’s Eve isn’t like a magic button that you can just push and have things suddenly be better. Change doesn’t happen overnight, it’s something you have to work on, and it’s something you have to really want. And I want this. I’m ready. I’m ready to live again.

I think part of my problem in the last couple years is that I had unrealistic expectations for the new year. I remember saying both last year and the year before that the next year was going to be THE BEST YEAR EVER. I was going to DO ALL THE THINGS, and I was failure if I didn’t or couldn’t accomplish those things. It was completely unrealistic, and somewhere along the way, part of me stopped caring and gave up, because what was the point? All that pressure - most of it self-imposed - was no way to live. For 2015, I’m going to be realistic. I’m not going to put that pressure on myself or on the year ahead. I’m going to set realistic goals and work away at them. I’m going to revel in my accomplishments and forgive myself for failures. But more importantly, if I do fail, I’m going to get back up and keep trying. 

 Some of my top goals for 2015

*Publish 3 books

Now, this may seem unrealistic, but it’s really not, because there’s an itty bitty loophole…book #1 is already ready to go. In fact, it comes out next week. Ha! (It's Take Them by Storm, book #3 in the Angel Island companion series, for those of you who don't know.) In a few days, I’ll already be able to check something off my list. I don’t consider it cheating, because I still have to get through promoting the book without feeling like I’m selling my soul, so…book #2 is already 2/3 written, and book #3 is already partially written as well. I’d love to write something completely new from scratch (the majority of book #2 was written in fall of 2013, and #3 was NaNoWriMo 2012, so they’re both older ideas/stories I love and can’t wait to share them with the world). I have a ton of new ideas that are (im)patiently waiting to be written, so I’d love to tackle at least one of those brand new stories this year, but only if it’s realistic in my schedule/for my mental health.

*Make my health a priority

Most years, my goal is too broad - lose X pounds, or ‘Get Healthy’. This year, even though I have a lot of weight to lose, I’m going to ease up on the pressure. I’m going to make healthier eating decisions, I’m going to exercise more, and I’m going to make my mental health a priority, too. I feel like if I can get these things in hand, the weight loss will be a result of new habits instead of something I obsess over. 

*Focus on the things that matter

This one is going to be like a major mental overhaul for me, so I know it’s something I’m going to have to work hard on. I want to be more positive in general, and in doing that, I need to stop focusing on things that don’t matter or that don't deserve to be a priority in my life for whatever reason. This is something I struggled a lot with in 2014. I spent way too much time last year (and previous years) being angry, sad, hurt, disappointed, and a myriad of other negative emotions, and so much of it was caused by stuff that doesn’t really matter in the grand scheme of things. Some people aren’t who you thought they were. Some people will always disappoint you. Some people are selfish and hurtful and thoughtless. Some people are clueless. Some people claim to be one thing (or many things) and aren’t self-aware enough to realize they’re actually giant hypocrites in their actions and words. Thing is: that’s not my problem, it’s theirs. I want to be a better person, I want my words and my actions to hold up, and that’s on me. Only I can control those things, and by focusing on the negative stuff, it’s made me a negative person. I’ve become cynical and bitter and angry, and I hate that. That’s not who I want to be, and I refuse to be that person anymore. One of the ways I’m going to change that is by focusing on things and people that matter. I’m going to do my best to push negative thoughts from my mind and replace them with good thoughts. I’m going to try positive self-talk until I believe what I’m telling myself.

I have other goals for 2015, but these three are the big ones. The ones I know are going to take the most work, so I guess maybe I’m sharing those so I’ll feel accountable. I know that seems like pressure, but being held accountable actually works pretty well for me.

So, goodbye 2014, and hello shiny new year full of possibilities. I have a lot of great plans for this year that I’m really excited about (I’ll be talking more about that in the coming weeks and months, so watch this space). A year from now, I want to read this post and feel proud of myself. I want to think ‘wow, I did good. I came far. I learned a lot, I grew a lot, I’m a different person. A better person’.

Here’s to 2015!

    

What are some of your goals for 2015? Do you need motivation? Do you need someone to hold you accountable? Someone to hold you hand? Someone to be your cheerleader? What are you looking forward to this year? Let's talk here or on Twitter!

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