From writing my first set of blogging goals I quickly discovered how tricky they are to come up with. I wanted my goals to be balanced: achievable but still an accomplishment. So here we go, a list to achieve for 2019. Bring it on.
P.s. I’m ridiculously pleased with the picture on top of this post. It’s one of my favourite holiday snaps.
Get to 600 blog followers
I’ve really struggled with this number. I want to increase my followers next year but, being a mathematician and all, that goal needed quantifying. At first the number was 500 but then I saw I’m on 270 already and wanted more of a challenge. This might be impossible, but hey why not try.
Use Goodreads
I’m so bad at using Goodreads. This year I’m going to try complete a Goodreads challenge, post my reviews over there and be generally active in the bookish community on that site.
Not to Have any Reviews stored over a Month
I’m so bad at publishing reviews. I don’t know, I love writing them and often type furiously mid novel but then just let it sit in drafts??! Not this year. Every review will be posted within a month of the book being read.
Post three times a week
I currently post twice a week, which I think is why my reviews sit in draft for so long. Hopefully posting three times will get my posts out quicker and be a fun way to get more active on my blog!
Read 6 historical fictions
I really like historical fiction but always seem to get swept up in the world’s of fantasy YA. Hopefully I can strike more of a balance with that this year!
Complete the Classic a Month Challenge
I’ve no idea who came up with this challenge or who else is joining but someone mentioned it on Twitter and it seemed pretty self explanatory. It sounds tough but hopefully I can at least attempt! Because there are so many gems in genres I never seem to explore.
Read 1 non fiction book
I don’t really know if I’d like non fiction or not, I do enjoy some bibliographies so I suppose I can’t know until I try?
Try NaNoWriMo Again
I probably won’t win (I don’t know if I’ll ever win that challenge it is so tough) but just to best this year’s word count would be great.
Some non Blogging Goals!
Because why not share these with you guys too!
Complete the Duolingo Tree
I probably haven’t mentioned this but January 2018 I randomly took up learning French (?) I’m hoping to finish the Duolingo tree (which is all the little blobs of language) by 2020 💪
Run a Thing
I attended Park Run, a group run of 5k that happens every Saturday morning, all through University and have joined the running club at work. But every time someone invites me to run an official 5k or whatever I chicken out. Maybe I could give it a go this year?
Knit Something
I’m a total granny and knit in the evenings. I know, embarrassing, right? I guess I just can’t ever sit still and it gives me something to do. Anyway being the creative flop I am I keep unravelling my work, but hopefully I can achieve something, even just a small square, this year.
Let’s Compare Notes
So there you have it. My goals. Bring on 2019. What are you goals? What do you think of mine? If you have a goals post feel free to drop a link or opinion in the comments!
Books, Life and Other Oddities 
Great goals. I’d love to try to read a classic every month but they always seems to send me into a reading slump. Also I love that photo- where was your holiday?
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Good luck with these! If you need any historical fiction recommendations, I have many 🙂
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Thanks! Ooh any and all historical fiction recommendations would be great, since I actually don’t know where to start with that goal 😂
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Anything by Ruta Sepetys is great, Cross My Heart by Carmen Reid was also a great one. Gentleman’s Guide To Vice and Virtue is also supposed to be really good, though I haven’t read that one yet, so that’s more on recommendation from Nicola than me.
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Thanks! I have heard of Gentleman’s guide to Vice and Virtue but thought it looked like it was for younger readers so I thought I wouldn’t enjoy it 🤔 maybe I’ll give it a go though! Thanks for the other recommendations, I’ll take a look!
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Hope you enjoy them 🙂
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Best of luck with all of your goals! I love historical fiction but have been far more into fantasy over the past year. If it’s a genre you’re drawn to but you’d like to read more historical fiction, I’d recommend picking up some historical fiction with fantastical elements to whet your appetite. Books like Temeraire by Naomi Novik, Shades of Milk and Honey by Mary Robinette Kowal, Midnight Never Come by Marie Brennan and The Diviners by Libba Bray are all books you might like if you haven’t read them already. 😀
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Ooh those are really good suggestions! I was actually trying to work out which historical fictions I’d try, I didn’t have any in mind really when I made this goal. Thanks for the recommendations! 😀
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Good luck with your goals. I need to start reading more classics because whilst I like them a lot, YA Fantasy seems to take over my reading life and I get bored of it at times. I could also do with picking my French back up again. I meant to do this last year and I started off rather well but forgot part way through the year when life got in the way. It’s a shame because I always prided myself on having more than enough French to get by but it’s really slipped since I graduated university.
And hello fellow “granny!” I too cannot spend an evening without knitting needles or a crochet hook if I don’t fancy reading. When I learnt how to knit for the second time, I just kept knitting the same first basic stitch over and over again with one or two colours until I had what is essentially a runner for the bottom of my bed. It’s the only knitted project I’ve liked enough to not undo or, in knitting/crochet terms, ‘frog.’
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Yes! That’s exactly the same for me, more so now I blog! I seem to just read YA Fantasy now 🤔
Ah fair enough, I use Duolingo which is a pretty fun way to learn. Although it’s not massively useful since it doesn’t ever explain anything sadly. Did you do French at uni?
Haha glad I’m not alone! It’s so tough, I’m definitely not a natural 😂
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Yes I did. I tried using Duolingo but the lack of explanation amongst other little things is one of the reasons why I personally don’t like it. Instead of knitting, have you tried crochet? I find it a lot easier than knitting and it’s very relaxing once you get the hang of it.
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Ah fair enough. I also have pen pal, that’s another way I’m learning. I’ve never tried crochet! I will look it up, do you use knitting needles to do it? I’m not even sure what crocket is 😝
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Ah that’s a good way to learn!
For crochet all you need is yarn (the same to what you use for knitting) or cotton and a set of crochet hooks. You control the yarn in one hand, a hook in the other hand and once you learn the basics you can make anything! I know I certainly find it easier to manipulate and control one hook rather than two knitting needles.
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Yeah I used a website and we email about once a month. Ooh I’ll give that a go! It actually sounds fun and a pretty good alternative to my failed knitting 😂
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It is. If you want some recommendations, Bella Coco and Blossom Crochet are two YT channels that are really good tools to help you get started.
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Ooh I’ll take a look, thanks!
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Good luck with your goals!
Running for me is one of those things i know i will never do. Both my friends enjoy running, but i feel like i can’t even. I’m happily lifting weights in the gym, but running… nah.
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Thanks! Ahaha fair enough, I don’t enjoy lifting weights at the gym so I guess it just depends on who you are. I prefer playing team sports to running tbh but haven’t the right combination of a sport I like and a team that meet at a convenient time
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Oooh, what a great list of goals–I love the variety you have!
I’m especially impressed by your review goal! I’ve accepted the fact that I’m lazy, so I’ve given up on writing reviews for every book I read. 😝 (Tho hmm, perhaps I should amend my goals to include one about review writing…?)
Also, I hope you fall in love with Goodreads the more you use it! I find GR so much fun and there are so many great things you can do on the site. ❤
Good luck on all your goals; you totally got this!
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Thanks! I’m so bad with my reviews 😣 definite area for improvement!! I review most of the books I read, eventually… Ah that’s great! What do you tend to do on the site? I’m trying to work it out still 😂 thanks, you too!
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That’s still impressive! (lol there are just going to be lots of books I’m never going to write reviews for)
And primarily, I use GR to keep track of the books I read & want to read. I also love the yearly reading challenge and posting updates (general and book specific). What I especially find handy are that you can create your own bookshelves– I like to use these to keep track of my arc-tbr, tbr-that-I-own, dnfs, favorites, books-I-want-to-reread, etc.
I’ve also had some good luck and won a couple of books from their giveaways!😁 Oooh, and I would totally recommend joining some GR bookclubs! A lot of these groups do group reads and its so much fun to discuss books with others who are reading it at the same time.
Not to mention, Goodreads is just helpfully for looking up ratings & reviews of books! ❤
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