New Year’s Resolutions from a Public Librarian

Happy New Year, fellow readers! In today’s post I reflect on 2022.  I also commit to a few goals, some big and some small, for the new year. 

2022: A Reflection

Pardon my cliché, but 2022 was a year of ups and downs.

I read 27 books – just 3 books shy of my Goodreads goal. (Though I did read a ton of “unaccounted for” picture books for my children’s librarian gig! Do you count children’s books towards your yearly goal?)

I also turned 30, entered a new relationship, and started a new job at a new library – switching from a youth services to an adult services position.

2022 was truly a time of exploration and change for me – some changes were welcomed, some were heartbreaking. In December I lost my grandma, or “Nonna” as I called her. My nonna was a part of my daily life for as long as I can remember. She was a proud Sicilian, a master chef, a creative soul, and a lover of nature. I’ve entered 2023 with a heavy heart, but my first resolution for the new year is to embody my nonna’s positivity and childlike wonder.

2023: Bookish Goals & Beyond

Now I present to you my goals for 2023…

1. Show gratitude.
   • Embody my nonna’s childlike positivity and enthusiasm. Remember to see the beauty in the little things. 🙂
   • Spend more quality time with loved ones.
2. Keep up with the blog.
   • Write at least 1 book review each month and post to the blog. Book reviewing, I find, is a great writing exercise! It’s also like keeping a reading journal, where I can document and look back on books I read and, in turn, think back to a specific time in my life.
   • Write a few posts about librarianship. I love reflecting on and sharing my own experiences as a librarian, and I think many people wonder what it’s like to work in a public library (and even tend to romanticize it.)
3. Read more books!
   • Read at least 30 books this year, preferably more! Less screen time = more book time!
   • Read more diversely across a wide range of topics and genres. I love thrillers and graphic novels and will continue to read them, but I do want to branch out just a teensy bit more.
   • Keep reading children’s and young adult books. I’ve transitioned from youth services to adult services, but that doesn’t mean I want to completely ‘abandon my roots.’ I love picture books! I am no longer surrounded by them at work, so I’ll have to make a conscious effort to flip through them whenever I get a chance.
4. Focus on professional development.
   • Take and complete courses (maybe 2 or 3) to expand my skills for my current job and beyond. (I currently use Google’s Career Certificate courses on Coursera.)
5. Be more active.
   • Maintain a consistent exercise routine. In my pre-pandemic days I was a gym rat. I don’t necessarily need to get back to that level of gym love, but I would like to make exercise a consistent part of my life again. I’m thinking it’ll also be a good time to catch up on audiobooks!

And there you have it! Those are my New Year’s resolutions for 2023. The point of these resolutions is to make my reading life and my whole life a bit more enjoyable and fulfilling.

A gentle reminder (to myself and to who ever else needs it): It’s OK to be flexible. It’s OK if we don’t meet every single goal in the exact way that we’d planned. Nothing has to be set in stone; our motivation will wax and wane and that is A-Okay!

It’s about making progress, not being perfect. Progression is perfection!

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What are some of your goals for 2023, both bookish and non-bookish, and how was your 2022? I’d love to know!