Did I Achieve my 2017 Goals? + My 2018 resolutions (my year in review!)

So it’s time to see how successful I was and prepare myself for a hopefully epic 2018!

The year is already over?! WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN?! I swear it was 2016 like 2 minutes ago. I am NOT ready for 2018 but also really glad that 2017 is going to be over! Like, I am doneeeee with this crappy year ahahha.

First off, I’m going to look at my 2017 goals. I’m just going to run through them quickly and the key is below! I mean, I had to track down my old blog’s post to find out what my 2017 goals WERE but you know, I’ve got them. AND I DON’T THINK I WAS AS SUCCESSFUL as I wished to be. Fricking hell, I named my post “A fool-proof plan for 2017” HAHAHAHA @ PAST ME.

✓ = ACHIEVED

❌ = FAILED

1. Do more things.❌
2. Give more charity.✓ 
3. Be nice.  ❌✓
4. Be more eco-friendly. ❌
5. Reach 1000 followers.✓ ✓ 
6. Post more✓ 
7. Use Bloglovin’ ❌❌
8. Find more blogs.✓ 
9. Reply to emails & messages quicker. ✓ ❌
10. Use My bullet journal more ❌

So I only actually achieved four of these things and 3 of these things were blogging-related so MY LIFE DEFINITELY DIDN’T IMPROVE. Anyways, enough of my failures let’s make some goals for the new year!

BLOGGING

• Reach 2000 followers! I really really hope I can do this one and it’s only like 550 more followers which I think will be pretty reachable. I’m hoping to do a massive giveaway for my blogiversary so that might help with this?
• Post at least 2 times a week. My 2017 goal was to post more but I want to refine my goal and make sure that I’m giving you guys fresh content. To be honest, I have NO idea if I’m going to be able to do this for a WHOLE year without going on an official hiatus.
• Launch a project. On my old blog, I had The Typewriter Project. I was thinking of hosting a huge writing challenge with a bunch of bloggers but I’m not sure anyone would be interested?
• Continue with my photography. I have improved over time and I do want to get better. Who knows, maybe I’ll start a bookstagram? WHO KNOWS OKAy!?
• Get back to blog hopping. Um, you know what? I used to comment on blogs daily and be opening up tabs like there was no tomorrow. But now? Ha. I check it after the ice age? Ooopsie.

WRITING

• Write more poetry. I absolutely adore writing poems. It’s been my outlet so much of the time and it’s just something I can always go back to. However, at the end of 2017, I lost touch with writing poems and I want to get back into that again.
• Share my writing. Right now, I am so overprotective (?) over my prose. It’s something I’m embarrassed about and I kind of hate that. Because I want to share my words with all of you but way too scared of criticism and judgement and I want to move away from that.
• Edit my novel. So, if you didn’t know, this November I finished my first WIP and it was an amazing feeling. Now I am ready to edit, rewrite and hopefully, maybe, get involved the publishing and agent world but that’s a little far-fetched I guess.
• Win NaNoWriMo. I did it this year and I’m really hoping to do it again. contemporary YA novel and I’m really excited to write a diverse novel.
• Branch out with my genres. Right now I’ve only written magical realism and contemporary. Because I’ve stuck to sci-fi and futuristic worlds a lot (?) and that’s not really my thing. I really want to try fantasy and create a world that I love.
• Start writing frequently. Look, I write a lot. Sometimes I go for months without writing and it’s really bad that I’ve lost touch with that part of myself.
• Collaborate with writers. Awesome writers in fact. I did try collab a novel with Sasha, it didn’t work out because I’m super busy next year. Trying and working with other writers in terms of ideas, brainstormings and exploring different writing styles is something super exciting!

READING

• Read 150 books. OMG WOW THIS WILL BE HARD! I got 113 books this year but 13 of the books were MG short books so really 100 YA thick long books so 50 more? AM I OKAY?! Wish me luck i need it ASAP.
• Read all my unread books on my bookshelf. I HAVE LE PLAN. Don’t worry guys. I MAKE GOOD PLANS. Every month, I’m going to read 3 books off my shelf so by the end of the year, I will only have 6789876 books on my physically TBR. I AM SUCH A GENIUS!
• Read 12 books a month on average. HOLY MOLY I BETTER BE ABLE TO THIS. I will probably read 10 books per month but then in the summer holidays read like 30 books.
• Read ARCs in the month I receive them. I HAVE THIS TENDENCY to put off ARCs until their release dates. OOPS. Sooo I definitely want to improve that.

LIFE

• Bullet Journal. I did start multiple in 2017 but actually gave up on it after a while mostly because i was too busy to write one. I think 2018, a year that is motivating me. Super excited.
• Do new things. Sometimes I wish I could speak German or play a particular instrument or get better at a certain sport. I want to choose one thing in 2018 and make it a new hobby. I want something else to be my passion besides blogging, writing and reading.
• Stay healthy. By this i mean drink more exercise more regularly but also make sure that my mental health is good as well. I want to feel less anxious about things and happier and more positive about life.
• Become more confident. Something has happened over the last few years and my confidence has dropped. I recently got interviewed for something and I completely failed. I didn’t answer most of the questions and spoke so quietly I’m not sure anyone could hear me. Somehow, I hope to change that.
• Write in my diary at least once a week. I absolutely love my journal/diary. Its a place where I express myself and its honesty so therapeutic. For the last 2 months, I haven’t been writing in it and I really want to get back into the habit.
• Spend more time in the real world! Let’s be honest, most of my weekends are spent on my laptop or blogging or on SCREENS. And I just?? hate??? that?? I DEFINITELY want to change from constantly checking my twitter to occasionally going online!
• Be more proud of my hobbies + me. I don’t know but I’m just like shy and embarrassed of basically everything I love and maybe 2018 isn’t the year I’m ready to change that but I’m putting this on here as a little possibility I might fulfil. I won’t be too sad if I don’t complete this one though.

Before I end this post, I would just like to say, thank you all for being here this year. I’ve only been blogging at AWOI for approximately 4 or 5 months (I’m just guessing) but you guys have been super supportive of me. I still have comments from months back that I need to reply to but know what I read each and every one of your comments and they make me incredibly happy.

Whether you had a good 2017 or not, I hope 2018 is a fabulous year for you all. Remember: don’t give up and keep striving. I personally can’t wait for the new year and for what is to come!

How was your 2017? What were your highlights of this year? What are you looking forward to in 2018? What goals have you made? How many books are you planning to read? What will be your main focus of next year? Happy new years (eve)!!