Happy 2023 everyone! Can I still say that even though we’re already in week 2? I hope everyone had an exciting year’s end, and that this year is already off to a good start. Mine could’ve gone better, but that’s mostly due to those pesky train cancellations that seem to target me specifically…
Anyway, I thought it would be fun to make a little post about my goals for 2023! I have some reading goals, of course, but I also want to mention some personal, non-book-related goals I have. If you have any goals for 2023, do share! I’d love to know them.
I am not going to do a 2022 wrap up post, because I simply do not have the energy. So here’s a small breakdown:
Now let’s go look at my 2023 goals!
Goal 1: Read 50 books
Obviously I have to start with my Goodreads reading challenge. I put it back at 50 because I noticed that my life got a little too consumed by books and making my yearly goal. I want to change that, because I have other hobbies as well and I don’t want to be in competition with myself if that makes sense. So back to 50 it is, but hopefully I’ll be able to cross some of the big books on my TBR off my list!
Goal 2: Consistently journal
Last year I pre-ordered the Always Fully Booked Planner by Little Inklings Design. I absolutely love keeping track of my reading, which is also why I enjoy Storygraph so much with their graphics. However, there’s nothing better than keeping track with a bunch of colorful pens. I’ve always wanted an AFB planner, but I kept missing the sale dates for some reason. So this year I finally set myself a reminder and managed to be among the firsts to order one.
Now the goal is to use it consistently. I sometimes have the tendency to get excited about a new thing, use it for a couple of weeks, and then it ends up in a corner somewhere?? That would be a horrible waste, because this year’s planner is absolutely beautiful. I did already color in the bookshelf page, drew myself a mood tracker, and filled in the month of January. So now I just got to keep that up for the rest of the year!
Goal 3: Engage more on Bookstagram
Bookstagram and I kind of have a love-hate relationship right now (but then again, who doesn’t as well?). I genuinely hate that I am not getting the engagement that I want, but I do still enjoy taking pics and posting about books. So I’m just going to continue with that, but I want to engage more with others in the process. I like that they brought back the option to view your feed in chronological order. It brought me back to accounts I follow that I hadn’t seen in months! And I hope that it’s the same for others that use this feature as well. As a side goal I also want to create more reels, but filming and finding audio are just exhausting things, so we’ll see how that goes.
Oh, and if you want to follow me, I’m right here: @leafingthroughtime
Goal 4: Enjoy my other hobbies
One downside to being a slow reader while also wanting to over-perform on your yearly goals is that all other hobbies play second violin. Or in my case, they collect dust. I want to get into drawing again, and I’ve also started playing on my Switch more regularly. I downloaded Disney Dreamlight Valley after Christmas and I’ve been addicted ever since. Now I gotta watch out that my Switch doesn’t take over my life!
I also want to watch more tv shows. I’m not a big tv-show watcher, but sometimes I find something I genuinely enjoy. Recently I watched Wednesday of course, and I found it super relaxing to watch an episode or two during dinner. So I’m going to continue with that. I still need to watch Shadow & Bone (I know!!) so I’ll probably start there.
Goal 5: Work hard, play hard
Such a vague title for this goal, but what I mean is that I want to get as much as possible out of my current job as I can. I have secured my next placement and I am SUPER excited for it, because it’s in a topic area that I am super-mega interested in. I also have a couple of internal courses on my radar, so I hope I get to do those too semi-soon.
Obviously the last two years were spent mostly at home, and I realize I really want to spend more time traveling. I’m hoping to make more weekend trips in Europe and just see more of the continent. I am also working towards getting a half-year placement in DC this September, and I already made a list of places I want to travel to. Did I already travel extensively during my five years in the US? Yes. Do I still want to travel more? Heck yes.
Conclusion: Get the most out of my job, and see new parts of the world while doing it!
And that’s it for my main goals of 2023! Only 5 goals, but they will take a lot of mental effort. Here’s to hoping I can come back this December and say that I was successful!
