2024 is here! With the new year comes that irresistible urge to reflect and embrace the excitement of a “fresh start.” Join me as I recap 2023 – the highs, lows, and everything in between – and outline my resolutions for the year ahead.
Reflecting on 2023…
Books: This is a book blog after all, so let’s start off with my reading! I read a total of 60 books. Read about my favorite books of 2023 here.
Love: With the end of the year came the end of a relationship… womp, womp… But that ending made way for a new beginning! And throughout it all, I had my family by my side and of course, my sweet, sweet Harvey – the furry, tail-wagging constant of my 2023. What would I do without that little guy!?
Work: In December I completed one year at a new library job, where I accomplished a professional feat or two, overcame fears, and truly grew in my role as a librarian. For the first time in my librarian life, I taught basic computer classes and surprised myself by how much I enjoyed it!
Travel: I traveled to London and Scotland, which marked my very first time in the UK. I toured Stonehenge, the British Library, the British Museum, Westminster Abbey, the UK Parliament Building, the Tower of London, Edinburgh Castle, and Loch Ness, among other things. I witnessed the changing of the guards, I hiked up to King Arthur’s seat, I frequented a few super cool pubs, and I even tried some vegetarian haggis! The highlight of the trip was definitely Edinburgh. It is such a gosh darn charming and lovely city, and I would love to go back one day and stay even longer!
Looking into 2024…
Bookish Goals:
- Read more, scroll less: I admittedly spend way too much time mindlessly scrolling on my phone and it quite honestly feels like a depressing waste of my life. In 2024, I aim to replace some of that screen time with more reading!
- Read more non-fiction: I prefer fiction but I want to sprinkle in some more non-fiction this year. I want to read more historical/educational stuff so I can simply learn, and I want to venture more into the ‘self-improvement’ genre for some good ol’ personal development.
- Publish another book: In 2022, I self-published a children’s picture book via Amazon KDP about my dog Harvey as a sort of experiment to see what the self-publishing process entailed. Recently I’ve been dabbling with writing more and I’ve decided that I want to take the endeavor more seriously. By the end of 2024, I hope to publish at least one book that I am truly proud of!
- Keep up with the blog: I’m going to keep this goal very open-ended! I plan to update this blog in whatever capacity I can, whether it be monthly posts or a few posts strewn throughout the year. Either way, I love coming back here to reflect on what I’ve read and to look back at old posts and reflect on where I was at a certain point in my life.
Non-Bookish Goals:
- Complete at least 1 professional development course unrelated to my field.
As much as I like being a librarian approximately 92 percent of the time, sometimes I like to keep the option open of a total career switch. A while back, I started a digital marketing course on Coursera, and I’m thinking of continuing with that and finally receiving that certificate of completion! - Professional development related to my field.
Teaching basic tech classes is a big part of my current job, and I want to make sure I stay strong in the fundamentals. I’m also hoping to share my experiences teaching tech classes at a library conference later this year and, in general, invest more time in improving my librarianship skills—without bringing too much work home with me! These days I very much value a healthy work-life balance! - Be more active.
This will never NOT be on my yearly resolutions list. Can anyone else relate? I’m aiming to be more consistent with my exercise routine, getting to the gym 3-4x/week and reaching at least 8k steps/day when I can. - Better time management and a solidified routine.
This is kind of a big, perhaps overly general goal. But basically, I want to build and maintain a good routine that helps me manage my time better and, in turn, eliminate some stress! - More quality time spent with loved ones.
Working full-time and commuting makes me kind of a grump sometimes, and I feel like I don’t always give my full attention to loved ones in the way that I should. It’s a recurring resolution for me, but this year, I aim to be more intentional about giving my full attention to those I care about. - Show gratitude and kindness.
Overall, 2023 treated me well. Being 31, I can now say I’m officially in my 30s, and I have such a good feeling about this decade of my life. I’ve never felt so comfortable in my own skin and I’ve magically stopped taking life so seriously! I am so lucky and so filled with gratitude for my wonderful little life, and I never want to let myself take that for granted. Amidst the world’s challenges, I aim to stay grateful and kind in 2024 – to family, friends, colleagues, library patrons, myself, and to everyone I encounter each day.
This post unexpectedly took a philosophical turn… but let’s wrap it up on a more lighthearted note. I wish you a year ahead filled with good books, good times, and good health! I’d also love to hear about your goals for the new year, so feel free to share them!
Pawsitive Reads 