Recapping 2012 - Looking Forward 2013

Bye, bye 2012. Hello 2013.

Ok guys, so after reading Push by Chalene Johnson at the beginning of 2012 (my review here), I decided to stick with the goal setting that she discusses in the book. I highly recommend anyone checking out that book. It's so more than a diet/fitness book.

Anyway, part of the suggestions she gives you is to create a list of 10 goals that would be crazy cool if they happened over the next 12 months. I've never been good at keeping up the New Year's resolutions, but goals...every day goals. Yeah, I could do that. So I came up with my 10 goals, and I wrote them down, and rewrote them every week just like Chalene (yes, we're on a first name basis...jk) tells you to do.

And I have to say, I accomplished more in 2012 than I probably ever have in one single year. I can't say that definitively because I've never sat down and written out my goals or kept up with what I accomplished over the year before.

Four of my goals for 2012 in particular related to reading and/or my blog. Those were:

1) Read 52 books in 2012. 2012 being the first year where I didn't have school of some sort, I wasn't sure how many books I could actually read in a year. I hit 52 books much sooner than I expected, and in fact ended up reading 94 books for the entire year of 2012 (not counting re-reads).

2) Have 15 blog followers. So...um...yeah, exceeded that one at a bit. At the time of typing up this post, I currently have 400 GFC followers (not included email followers). Granted 15 probably wasn't a huge stretch. I started the blog in 2011, but didn't tell anyone about it until 2012 because I was a big "fraid-ee-cat." But I also had no idea how to market my blog at that point either. Thanks to all of you who have ended up following Somewhere Only We Know. I will be ever thankful to each and every one of you.

3) Read 6 - 10 Non-fiction books. Fiction is my true love when it comes to reading, but I also really enjoy reading books that help me become a deeper/better person. I ended up reading 12 non-fiction books. (Push by Chalene Johnson, Boundaries by Dr. Henry Cloud & Dr. John Townsend, Praying the Name of Jesus by Ann Spangler, Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life for Teens by Joseph V. Ciarrochi, Louise Hayes, Ann Bailey, and Steven C. Hayes, Crazy Love by Francis Chan, The God Who Sees You by Tammy Maltby, Forgotten God by Francis Chan, 48 Days to the Work You Love by Dan Miller, The Bible by God, God, Girls, & Guys by Robin Marsh and Lauren Nelson, Made to Crave by Lysa TerKeurst, and Making the Cut by Jillian Michaels)

4) Finish reading the Bible by October. I'd started reading the Bible straight through in October of 2011 and I wanted to complete it in a year from that date. I ended up finishing in September. Talk about the ultimate book that help you become a deeper/better person.

After actually keeping up with my goals and rewriting my 10 goals each week, one thing I noticed for sure, I accomplished almost every single goal a put on my list. And 90% of the goals I either exceeded or completed ahead of schedule. (Fun fact, I accomplished at least 22 goals for 2012. Once I accomplished one of my 10 goals, I added a new goal to the list so that I always have 10 goals at one time.) I think my success stems from being aware of what my goals actually are therefore being able to focus my time and energy into completing things that I have thought out to be worthwhile instead of haphazardly traipsing through life hoping to accomplish something--anything.

So without further ado, here are my blog/reading goals for 2013:

1) Read the Bible (yes again) by December 2013.

2) Read 104 books. (Doubling my goal from last year and hoping to keep up with my schedule of reviewing 2 books a week on the blog.)

3) Read 6 Classics by December 2013.

4) Have 750 GFC followers

According to the 2013 Challenges I've joined (see my post here on the challenges):

5) Read 12 books that are currently on my TBR list but not in my possession.

6) Reading a minimum of 5 books about witches &/or witchcraft.

7) Read 15 Sequels. I'm actually a big reader of series, so hopefully I shouldn't have too hard of a time on this one.

And then my bookish goals related to specific books:

8) Re-read The Power of a Praying Woman by Stormie Omartian & Push by Chalene Johnson

9) Read The 4-Hour Body by Timothy Ferriss, Entreleadership by Dave Ramsey, Praying the Name of God by Ann Spangler, & Captivating by John & Staci Eldredge

10) Finish The Power of a Praying Church by Stormie Omartian, The Power of Prayer to Change Your Marriage by Stormie Omartian, & One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp

I have other goals for 2013 that don't include books or my blog. A few examples are paying our mortgage to a specific $ amount, reaching my goal weight, and taking one picture each day for the entire year of 2013 (my husband and I have barely taken any pictures since we got married 3 years ago, and I want to get better about that). I have no doubts about reaching my goals as much as they remain within my control.

What about you? Did you have any goals for 2012? Did you achieve them? If not, what do you think stopped you? Do you have any goals for 2013? Do you think you could try re-writing you top 10 goals for a 12 month period each week and see if that helps you achieve them. Let me know, I'm totally interested!

(My day planner has the perfect spot for me to write them so I can see them while looking at my entire week. I blacked out some of my more personal goals. And shame I won't get to use this calendar for 2013, it's been great. But hopefully I'll have an even better one for 2013.)