So it is a week into February already and I look back what I have accomplished compared to what I planned – a wrap up for the past month.
My Resolutions
This was that post.
- A Photo a Day: Yes to this one! And while the ones I post each day on Instagram are not always the ones I take that day, I am glad I have taken the time to take a photo a day, to pause for that moment and capture it.
- My writing goals:
- in my journal every day – Have not done it everyday, but once every few days. This post will show you how I plan to update the way I journal.
- poems –
one every week– hmm.. got two for the month so need to work on this one. - posts on my blog – not what I planned but I am OK with that. The goal keeps me posting more than I otherwise would.
- book reviews – yes, but hope to do more!
- Health Goals: Working on these diligently, except for one thing. I do need to start on dance and yoga, though I do walk everyday (not always 10k, but enough and getting to my class requires a decent sized climb – three times a week)
- Complete 20 items from the 52 weeks, 52 list – Not Yet, but have picked the 20 I plan to do!
- Yes to teeny tiny acts of kindness, yet to work on doing more.
- Read – yup!
- Learn: A new word a day (almost but yet to start using them actively); am doing two courses at the local community college this quarter which is one of the reasons my blogging started getting random (one I enjoy, and one I am starting to enjoy though I did not think I will); a new language (not yet but hope to soon); and then the skills (new and old) is something I am not sure I am working on (maybe, maybe not)
- Work on our garden seriously – will be starting on this soon.
January Book/Short Story Review Posts
- On Keeping a Notebook
- Book Review: I’m Stretched
- Tiny Travelers Series: Picture Book Reviews
- Deal Me In #3: Cathedral by Raymond Carver
- Picture Book Review: Old Man of the Sea
- Picture Book Review: Don’t Let the Beasties Escape this Book
- A Very Short-Short Story: Last Long Night
- Book Review: Tweet Cute by Emma Lord
- Mini Reviews: Picture Books
- The Rocking Horse Winner
My favorite of the photos posted in January on Instagram
My Reading Challenges
This post here.
- The AtoZ Reading Challenge and the the AtoZ Picture Book Challenge – I have many picture books I need to add to the challenge linkup; and linked one for the AtoZ Reading Challenge.
- The Deal Me In Short Story Challenge – while I am reading short stories every week because of the writing course I am taking this quarter, not all of them relate to this challenge but I’m on track here
- The 2020 Reading Challenge – one done here, but need to figure out where to link up.
The Blog Audit Challenge
The January progress/wrap up for the Blog Audit Challenge (posted about this here)
1. Create a mission statement for your blog
My Mission Statement: To entertain and educate, to inform and instill, to stay for more and leave enriched
2. Do a SWOT analysis of your blog
This was tough but highlighting some of what I noted down here.
- Strengths – This is a tough one for me, and I am not sure what it is, except for the fact that I do want to work towards making my blog better.
- Weaknesses – SEO, consistency, navigation can be made easier (eg: book reviews indexed by categories/age/etc)
- Opportunities – provide downloads, more relevant tags, create more cornerstone content for my blog
- Threats – distractions causing inability to focus on finishing posts (leading to that weakness of consistency)
3. Research
Websites that provide a wide variety of posts (no specific niche) and are successful are my biggest source of inspiration. I have a list of these and am using that inspiration to work towards providing better content on my blog to my readers.
4. Create a content schedule
I did have one that I don’t follow as much and so I need to rethink it as I work on making more updates on how and what I post
Wrapping up the Wrap up Post
So that was my looking back at January. And if you are thinking of making any updates to your blog, check out the Blog Audit Challenge. Jo has new challenges for each month and I know it is helping me already! The reading challenges are all fun too. It is not too late to join any of them so join me and we can work on these together 🙂 The more, the merrier is true…
You’re doing great with your challenges. Way to go! Love your progress with the Blog Audit Challenge.
thank you Jo! And thanks again for this wonderful, needed challenge
Looks like you are doing great! Thank you for sharing as I will now try and implement this into my world! I love having ways to look back at progress and goals!
thank you Paris! Yes, looking back does help move forward here..
Sounds like you are off to a great start this year! Way to go!
thank you Cyndi 🙂
That’s a great January wrap-up Vidya! Looks like your on the way to a great year.
Thank you Martha! Hope I keep up the momentum
I love the idea of recapping each month of blogging!
It does make me think! And try to improve going forward 🙂 (hopefully)
Well done on keeping track of your goals. Even if you don’t meet them 100% you know exactly where you are.
This is a great way to keep track of your goals, and see what you were able to accomplish, and what you still need to do!
It’s so crazy how fast the month Jan went by. You have some great goals.
Sounds like you got a lot done this January. I spent some time at home getting some projects done and now I’m back to work. Winter is tough here, it makes me lose a lot of my motivation!
What great resolutions! I love that you sorted them by groups. I love taking a photo a day!