Yesterday, I shared our 2022 Year in Review post, and today I am excited to share our project punch list for 2023. This year, though, I decided to mix it up and also share my blogging and personal goals for 2023 as well.
I shared a little bit about the struggles I experienced in 2022 (and really since) yesterday, which is actually a big part of my focus for the year. And on that note let’s dive in:
My Word for 2023: Share
The word ringing around in my brain for 2023 is “Share.” I haven’t always chosen a word of the year (and if I do, it’s often forgotten by April, so don’t hold me to it) but this year, I couldn’t deny that it was really screaming at me.
First, I attended a Jessica Hische virtual speaking engagement where she said:
“You have expertise in your own lived experience and that’s always worth sharing.” Jessica Hische
And, just last week, Orlando Soria hit me with this unassuming sentence:
“We need to tell our stories so other people feel less alone in theirs.” Orlando Soria
Style by Emily Henderson
I get it, I get it, universe! Time to share.
It wasn’t just these two moments but they definitely stood out. Lately, I have noticed my own hesitance to share details of my life and health. I think when things are hard or going wrong, it’s hard to share, because you don’t want to be a downer. No fun at parties to say “bad” when people ask how you’re doing!
And especially with regard to Long Covid, I can feel the guilt rolling off people when I talk about how I’m doing and they are forced to reflect on the risks they’re taking.
But I have really noticed the way that silence isolates me. People don’t know how I’m doing because I don’t tell them, and then I feel isolated because people don’t know how I’m doing.
So, my word of the year is Share. I mean that in a personal sense, needing to share how I’m doing with loved ones, but also in a blogging sense, hoping to share progress in our home, and share what I’m thinking about as well. I want to share space and time and meals with loved ones, and share what I’m reading on Instagram. I want to share struggles and successes, and I’d like to be more intentional about spending time writing.
It’s a lot wrapped in one, which I think is a cardinal quality of a good word of the year.
Blogging Goals
My main goal for the blog is just to do it more! (See above—time to share!)
I don’t want it to feel like a painful obligation, of course, but I do want to take it seriously and try to get some more posts out —it’s not a lack of ideas keeping me from publishing! Writing is something I enjoy, and having a personal creative outlet feels exciting, not obligatory. Plus, I will be honest and say that the blog made enough money last year that I’m inclined to see what happens when I give it a bit more effort.
So, my blogging goals are:
- Post more blog posts
- Update blog design
- Start a newsletter
- Measure input
- Have more fun
Pretty simple goals, but mostly I want to share with intention, and be sure I’m having fun! I am hoping to update the visual design a little bit just to keep things fresh, and I really want to start a newsletter as another forum for community and a different type of writing.
One thing I want to stay focused on is measuring my input. Things like web traffic, Instagram followers, and affiliate income are somewhat unpredictable even for the pros who are doing everything right. I’m keeping my goals focused on the things I can control—my input—and knowing the other results will follow eventually.
Project Goals
Our project punch list is mostly holdovers from last year that aren’t completed yet! As I discussed here, we had some pivots and moved slower than we would have liked sometimes in 2022, but that’s okay! We still have a chance to complete these projects this year:
Closet and Pantry
We’re swapping our coat closet and pantry to get more functional storage out of each! This project is starting next week (and I’m already picking out baskets and bins). I just ordered the prettiest step stool for the pantry, too.
Entryway, Living Room, and Dining Room
So many fun finishing touches are coming in these three spaces. I already shared a preview (slash some design dilemmas) about our dining room, and a peek at our living room in the bookshelf post. Our front door process threw off the timing of our entryway completion but we just have a few special touches and it will be good to go!
Home Gym and Guest Bedroom Finishing Touches
These rooms really just need final touches like art, shelves, mirrors, etc. But I’m throwing them on the list to keep us honest. See our home gym inspiration here, and our guest bedroom mood board here.
Bar and Shelving in the Basement
Poor Dustin has been using a messy, if complete, basement for too long. We really need to get the entertainment center built so we can get the basement organized!
Vegetable Garden
I am way too excited about having a big vegetable garden! Hopefully the timeline works out alright for spring planting. We put down a bed of rock last year, and just need to build the garden boxes and fill with soil before I start growing!
Grill Station
We haven’t really shared much about this yet, but we poured a concrete pad for our outdoor grill area last year, and we need to build a structure to cover the grills this year. This will expand our usable outdoor space so much!
Looking Forward to 2023
We have a lot to look forward to in 2023, and I’ve already felt the positive impacts of being a little more open and sharing more! I am excited to see where this year takes us. As I discussed yesterday, our goals and projects are always expanding and changing. It will be fun to look back next year and see how our priorities changed, what got done, and which items grew in ways we didn’t expect!
Thanks for being here, and I hope you’ll stay a part of our community this year.
Do you have a word of the year or big goal for 2023? Let us know in the comments!
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