And so a new decade begins!
And, as always, I get to launch into the new year with a list of goals. 🤗 I always manage to gloriously FAIL my goals each year (possibly because I never look back at the post after making it? not sure if that’s been the problem?), but I still love making the lists and thinking up glossy and shiny and ambitious dreams.
I don’t want to layer 2020 with too much pressure — but I really want this to be A Good Year™. To be perfectly blunt, 2019 sucked. 😂 I feel spread thin just thinking about it. I have lots of accomplishments to be proud of, but I have lots of things to heal from too. And I’m just trying so so hard to keep on. In all honesty, that’s the goal for 2020…to just keep on.
But I’ll also make a list because my bones say “do ittttttt“.
…you might also like…
💬 Climbing Atop My Bookshelf (And Other Goals for 2019)
💬 Wearing A Wizard Cloak (And Other Goals for 2018)
💬 Being Queen Of The Galaxies (And Other Goals for 2017)
how did my 2019 goals go…?
➢ read 200 books again ✓
I DID IT. But it was excruciatingly hard this year and I can’t keep it up. 😭
➢ reread 30 books again…specifically all the Stiefvater and Cassandra Clare ✗
That’s a solid fail, my friends. I only reread 24 books, and didn’t even touch Stiefvater OR Clare’s whole backlist.
➢ write something that makes me immensely pleased. ✓
I ALSO DID THIS ONE AND I’M PROUD. Because way back in 2018, my goal was “write something that scares me” and okay — it took me 2 years to do it. But I did it. I wrote an adult urban fantasy, an absolute heart story, and it is wickedly dark and I’m so intensely in love with it.
➢ clear out ALL my overdue eARCs ✗
this was the dumbest pretend goal 😂😂😂 am wheezing. I didn’t even try.
➢ fix my blog and get BACK into blogging ✓✗
I claim half and half for this? I DID fix my blog!!! I did NOT get back into blogging. I lost a lot of my blogging enthusiasm after my blog broke, stopped sending emails, and basically torpedoed me into the dust. I went from 150 comments to 10 comments so I ended up shifting my hard work to instagram. But I have blogging PLANS and I’ll share them with you soon!!
➢ do more designs on Society6 ✗
I did…one. Oh. No, no I remember now…I did two. Incredible.
➢ pass 60,000 on instagram ✓
if the algorithm did indeed still eat my bones but I STILL DID THAT. 61,000 as we speak.
➢ sell another book ✗
I put this on my list in the first place with the caveat that it obviously isn’t something I can control, so it was a wish. It was a cute wish. It did not work. I am, in fact, further away from this goal than I was last year, so that’s impressive in a subtractive way. 👌🏻
➢ survive the release of The Boy Who Steals Houses ✓
I actually found a white eyebrow hair? I may be shedding my skin and turning into a ghost soon. But I’m still counting my life as survival, even if I aged 100 years.
➢ take a nap ✓
I took many naps 🥺It’s my favourite part-time hobby.
score = 5 / 10
I continue to be half baked. And I can’t even claim I tried because I didn’t. 😂 At least I’m adorable.
time for my 2020 goals…
- Read 150 books. (I’ve read 200 for 6 years in a row and I’m really sad to feel that era is over. But this year I want to focus on writing. I write slower now, and I want to be okay with that! But I also need more time.)
- Reread 20 books. (Look I really want to reread The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices this year so wish me luck.)
- Read more BIG books! (The 600+ page ones, the adult ones, the intimidating ones!)
- Revamp my blogging style. (Sounds ominous 😏but I’ll do a full blog post on my plans and get your input!)
- Write a sequel AND tackle a brand new first draft. (The first I’m dying for, the second I’m scared of…but have to do this!!)
- Hit 70,000 followers on instagram.
- Get new tools/props for my bookstagram. (I really need a tripod 😂And I’d also like a dark-fake-wooden mat!)
- Start slowly quitting ARC lists. (This worries me! Because I read more books than I can buy. But I have a library now and I have access to some online elibraries too. Also audible. So I don’t think I’ll bookishly starve. I just want to move away from being awkwardly stuck reviewing books I don’t like but am obligated to review since it’s an ARC!! Agh.)
- Fill my new empty bookshelves!
- Actually be okay with myself. (With going slower. With my mental health. With who I am and where I am in life.)
- Achieve a really big new goal that terrifies me. (That I’m cryptically not telling you about. But if it happens, I will tell you!!)
- Eat ice cream. Because I need something to tick off when the year ends okay.
This is a small list, a chill list, and maybe it’s not ambitious or surprising — but I’m happy with it! Aiming to tick them ALL off. 😌👌🏻Just watch.
And here’s to an excellent 2020 for ALL of us. (And I just ate ice cream so who’s really winning here!!!!)
what are your goals for 2020?!! how many books are you aiming for? do you like making big goals or soft achievable ones?
* and how many of us are typing “2002” 😑 because I am.
I feel like that’s a great list! I never set my reading goal to high (I learned from my past lolz) so if I read more books than my goal I feel good x)
Love to see what 2020 will bring for everyone!
X Iris
I always fail my goals! I think I’m going to go for 75 books again, but that might end up going down – I’m really struggling to balance reading and writing. The time’s there, I’m sure, but between work, exercise, and everything else, it seems to keep slipping through my fingers. Happy New Year! I hope you have a great 2020.
I already ate ice cream, so now I feel accomplished! Thanks for the confidence boost 😄
I want to finish a first draft of one of my current WIPs, I’ve been working on them both for several years and whilst I’ve made the most of what little writing time I’ve had, I’d really like to get one past the first draft stage this year! I’m also ostensibly going to try tackling more of my larger books this year but I’m not sure how that’s going to go, they scare me! My challenge is 24 books but I always start there and put it up! Last year I made it to 42, I’m not sure if I’ll be able to do the same this year but it would be cool if I could make it to 40 again! I like making achievable ones, I feel very satisfied if I’ve ticked most of them off by the end of a year!
eat ice cream is the best goal…likes yes is 100% agree. and good luck on that 150!! i love how this is ur “i’m slowing down on reading” goal but holy heck that is a lot of books. last year, i didn’t set a reading goal and managed around 50 books which was nice! i’m aiming for 70 this year. i like making soft, achievable goals (like ice cream) so i can tick them off at the end of the year ahahha.
I keep typing 2029 🙈 I’m sorry your 2019 was hard. Hope you have a better year in 2020.
I find it a little funny that I’m raising my book goal the year you’re lowering yours, LOL. Though 200 books sounds super intimidating, so I really don’t blame you.
I feel vaguely bad about the decrease-in-blog-comments thing. I know I’m part of the problem there; I have a habit of reading and liking posts without engaging with them. Maybe I should’ve added “Interact more” to my goals.
BTW, is there a way I can contact you to ask some stuff about your experience with Society6? I’m thinking of doing a thing, and figuring out the logistics of said thing and potentially making the thing happen is one of my goals for the year. (Because obviously my other goals, like “finish and publish my book” and “graduate” and “figure out what I’m doing in terms of job/grad school” aren’t going to keep me busy enough.)
I’m excited to see how your goals go and to hear about how you’re changing your blogging plans and about your secret project!
I think I failed more than half of my 2019 goals, so you did better than me! I acquired a new job and a new baby in 2019. I blame those for failing at everything else. Good luck with 2020!
Cait, I’m so proud of you! You’ve done so much in the past year and your goals for 2020 are abso-bloody-lutley fantastic! Trying to channel some Monty there, hehe.
Filling that new bookshelf won’t be that hard, right? I need to get some new bookshelves – I just moved to a new apartment and I just need to buy some shelves. I can’t wait to fill them with all the books!
Let’s all draft a new book in 2020! And read what makes us comfortable. It’s going to be a fantastic year!
What a great list! I hope 2020 is a magical year for you! I am hoping to spend more time writing and a little less reading as well!
Ah! I love reading lists like this! I’m glad you’re still blogging despite things breaking cause your blog always makes me happy 🙂 I think your chill list is a great one. I hit 27/40 books this year, and I’ll probably shoot for 30 in 2020! I also want to start writing more co distantly.
I love your goals!! My big life goals this year are to do well in school (I’m going back to school online to finish my degree), and edit my book + start querying agents! My bookish goals include reading 100 books, growing on Instagram (and making friends there!) and reading more books that are already on my shelf!
I also keep writing 2002 🙈
Oh dear Cait, I just wanted to say that even though I don’t really comment, I love your blog and your Instagram. I also love talking to you, the few times we’ve dmed on Instagram. I greatly enjoy you. I really hope we get to read that adult fantasy one day. I look forward to watching you work toward these goals over the coming year.
Oh, and as for me, I have a goal of a measly 60 books. I read 66 in 2019 with the same goal. But, I usually don’t count all the graphic novels I read. I really stopped reading over the last month or two or it would have been higher. I have chronic migraines and reading can be difficult with that. I also haven’t blogged or posted a book post on Instagram in a really long time. I lost my passion for it a few months ago. I hope to get it back.
HAPPY NEW YEAR, CAIT! I’m sorry 2019 sucked for you, but I wish you all the very best for 2020! And it sounds like you accomplished a lot recently. But being okay with yourself is probably the best (and hardest) goal anyone could set on a list of goals, and I wish you the best of luck for it. I’m sure you won’t have trouble filling your bookshelves. And also YAY and CONGRATS on your adult fantasy novel, that sounds amazing. I’ve only read a draft of one of your novels a few years ago, but I still remember it, which is no small feat since my brain is a sieve, and I think you’re a talented writer, no matter what speed you do it at. To many new words in 2020. 🙂 I didn’t set any goals for 2020 other than a very informal one in my head to just chill the eff out and have fun without worrying too much about how others perceive me and without overloading my schedule, because I did a lot of that last year.
Uhhh, two designs is still ‘more designs’… you could tick that one off as complete!!
Also, I believe in you, Cait!! You write amazing books (and short story prequels) that make me cry and question my life, so I think you’re, quite frankly, awesome.
I’m laughing at the “clear out ALL my overdue eARCs” because I failed this too. I always am tempted to request/accept them but then sometimes (okay most of the time) I fail to read and give feedback before its release. There’s always this feeling of losing interest in some of them as times goes by and it sucks because there’s the anticipation but it fades away.. but then you gotta read because it’s an ARC *sobs*
Anyway, good luck with these goals! “Actually be okay with myself.” – Take your time and you’ll get there. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
Ahhhh, happy new year, Cait! It’s been a WHILE since I commented around here, but I still lurk! And love your Insta!! ^_^
These are awesome goals. Slowing down is harrrrd–for me too–so I feel ya. I’ve been making some decisions to cut back on some things in the hopes that I’ll be able to dedicate more time to the important stuff. Hope you have a rejuvenating 2020!
I am 10000% here for that last goal (on both lists, actually. I napped lots this year, and you can be sure I’ll be eating lots of ice cream in this next one. 😀 Also, can I just say that I just sat and laughed empathetically over your comment on the society six goal for a solid minute? I feel that 100% in so many areas of my life XP
Sounds like you have some excellent goals for yourself!! It’s insane to me that it’s 2020 already, but hopefully this will just mean a new and improved year for all of us. 🙂 Good luck with all of your goals!!
That’s a great list! I’m hyped to see how it will go. Maybe I’ll do a list too? 🤔That seems fun!
Good luck with your new year!
My biggest goal is to read more books that I already own (after I finish all the series I started in 2019- that’s probably 2-3 months of reading for me). I set a goal of 60 books on Goodreads, which I know I can probably beat, but I don’t want to put much pressure on myself from a number standpoint. I read 100 books in 2019, which was the most since I started tracking how many books I read. Reading that many books was hard! My boyfriend wants me to push for 110, so I guess we’ll see what happens lol. I’d also like to post more about books on Instagram as well, and take prettier pictures of my books.
if I had a dollar for every time I typed 2002 instead of 2020, i’d still spend too much money on books
Great list of goals though 😀 Definitely adding eat ice cream to mine!
I am like “2020 is my year” but let’s be honest here: it won’t be so different than 2019. I really hope to finish university and have my degree (finally), I want to finish my novel and begin the journey of every publishing house refusing me (lol), I want to return in blogging (’cause I missed) and start to be healthy again (mind, soul, body). 2020 must be an okay year, okay (hehe 2020 okay will be our always).
Your third last goal is the best. 💛💛 Look after yourself. Give yourself grace. *sends virtual hugs and ice cream*
I’ve got a pretty rambly goals list this year. It felt more like a list of “things I want to do” rather than specific “new years goals” for some reason. But I really want to send my book to agents and publishers, start teaching music lessons to a few kids, finish writing a book I really love but didn’t get time to write last year…and odds and ends of other things!
Good luck with your goals! I haven’t set very many book-related goals for this year because I’m trying to make reading a hobby again instead of treating it like a chore, but I do have a few personal goals to get started with! I’m mainly hoping to be employed this year since being broke and bored all the time is not fun at all 😂
I totally feel you with the lowering of the reading goal for 2020, the last few years I’ve set my goal at 100 books and while I’ve been able to hit it, I feel like I rush through books, forget about all of the long books on my tbr, and don’t have enough time for everything else.
Good luck with your 2020 goals, eating ice cream is super important. 🙂
Haha my goal, funnily enough, is to stay away from ice cream because I’m more of a bubble tea/froyo person.
I’m aiming for 75 books this year. I reached this, like, 3 years ago, so hopefully I can do it again? I also want to grow my bookstagram :).
I hope you can accomplish everything on this list!
I am SO writing 2002, lol. It just feels more natural!
When it comes to books, I am a huge mood reader (like, I can’t even plan the afternoon’s reading out), so bookish goals aren’t my thing. However, lifewise i am planning some pretty big goals, so eek!
Really glad that you’re trying to take care of you this year! That’s a pretty hard thing to do, lol. I love your Insta, but as a longtime follower of your blog I am excited to see these mysterious changes!
Good luck with 2002!*
*2020
Yay for 2019, at least it wasn’t a total failure 😀 I also want to read TID and want to do blog redesign since 2018… but still haven’t do it until now. Whoops. Hopefully 2020 will be the year I actually do it!
First, your titles for your goals are just wonderful. I absolutely love it and it makes me excited to see what you come up with next. Second, your writing is just perfect and I adore you for it. I really, really hope that you find your love for blogging again because I truly love reading your posts. You are going to rock your goals this year ♥
What a great goal list! I think setting more attainable goals, especially when you’re busy, is good because it won’t put as much pressure on you and you won’t have more gray eyebrow hairs.
My reading goal is to read 25 books this year. I had the same goal last year and only read 17, but I’m still happy with those 17 books. But I do have a more extensive 50 book list for the POPSUGAR reading challenge that I want to aim to complete, but I’m not making it like a MUST ACHIEVE kind of thing, you know?
Personal goals include making more art, creating a YouTube channel, writing the first draft of any one of my books… it’s going to be a very busy creative year for me lol
Ah Cait I am so proud of everything you’ve accomplished in the past year, honestly you are incredible. I hope you’ll get to meet all of your goals in 2020 and maybe read a little less to write a little more, hopefully to be kinder to yourself most of it all, even if I know it’s one of the hardest resolution to make ahah. I’m sending you all the love! <3 <3
So agree about the ARC thing. Sometimes you just NEED to read books that actually FILL AND CONSUME your soul. And sometimes arc obligations get in the way #ugh #ew. (this is also why I cut back on my arc requests last yr too 😉 and danggg 150 books is still A LOT, proud of the completion of 200 books this yr and 6 yrs in a row *hive fives all around for completing our challenges* Hope the new yr brings you luck in completing your goals!!
I completely get you on lowering the reading goal 🙁 I used to be a 100 books a year person, but due to not being a socially-cut off homeschooler anymore (Lol) and having to go out into the world and work and study and actually write books as well if I ever want to be an author, I just can’t do it anymore. I’ve lowered my goal to 60 for this year, so we’ll see how that goes.
My goals also include writing a sequel and a new first draft! So exciting and also terrifying.
Fill empty bookshelf sounds like a great goal and one I could easily complete! Unfortunately, due to space, I must do the opposite.
Good luck with your goals this year!
I feel like you should have comment boxes all through the post so I can write all over it! First of all 5 out of 10 is amazing and I think you should have at least half a point for re-reading as you did 24 out of 30! Definitely not a SOLID fail 😉
Would it count as writing/selling a book if you just sent me a copy? I need this urban fantasy you mention…
You have the most fun goal here ever, fill new shelves <3
Also I LOVE your blogging style so don't change too much just because you think you should, as long as you're true to how you want to speak.
LOVE to you and Happy New Year xxxxx
I’m very proud of you for choosing 150 books this year and looking to take care of yourself. It may not seem like a lot, and you may feel intense pressure to do even more, but habits like taking it slower and finding more time to be grateful about where you are in life will pay off big time for you mentally and emotionally. You do so much for the book blogging community, are such an inspiration, you deserve to take all the time in the world! Happy reading, Cait!
I believe in youuuuuuuuuuu and your goals and I also support you wanting to take things slower and take care of yourself <333
I've gotta finish Book 2 of my Wild West fantasy series this year–it has DRAGONS and cowboys so it's fINE lolol–and I've got to somehow find an agent for the whole shebang. *screams quietly into the void*
Here's to us, this year!!!
I love your goals, they feel so real, which is why I am such a fan of your blog and reviews, because you always seem so relatable.
My 2020 goals are mostly small, Try to read more, use technology less, and be less reliant on the internet. My book reading goal is 52 to start with and if I accomplish that, I will probably add more. Last year my goal was 120 and I barely achieved it and I felt like I was always looking at the page number of books to see if it was a quick read or not. So this year I want to try something to give me more time to enjoy reading, rather than reading just to achieve my goal.
I didn’t think about doing dessert goals before, but I feel inspired now, so my new goal is to eat more pie and chocolate. Fun goals rule!
I’m sorry that 2019 wasn’t the year you were hoping it would be. (I can sort of relate—I was really hoping my book would SELL last year and … it didn’t. BUT we’re going out on submission again in 2020, so all hope is not lost.). I’m glad that you’re working as hard as you can to put your mental health first and remind yourself to only hold yourself responsible for the things you can control. I know it’s not always easy!! Good luck with your 2020 goals!!
I almost always make goals that are “reasonable”, but I still find hard to achieve? There’s been so many years of me lowering the goal in the last month of the year but I managed to get there (barely) in 2019. Ironically I’m lifting the goal to 100 which screams impossible but I’m going to try anyway? I can’t wait to see what you have in store for 2020 on the blog 🙂
I love “actually be okay with myself.” Such a good goal to have, even though it’s somehow always the hardest??
OH GOSH! This is a new decade, isn’t it? 😮 Where did the last one go?! *checks under the rug, just in case*
I mean … at least you added the ARC thing as a goal. I didn’t even make it that far. I tried. Really I did. But before I could finish typing the sentence, I was laughing too hard. I also totally didn’t make it, so … probably a wise choice on my part. xD
Oooh, such mysterious writing goals for 2020. I’m sending all the best wishes your way and hoping things happen for you in 2020, because you deserve all the fabulousness and then some. I mean, not that either of us can control that. Or maybe … would blood offerings help? Because I know some people … 😉
I tried to mix my 2020 goals with some big and some small. I want to read more manga and middle grade books this year, and since I read almost none last year, that’s gonna be an easy win. I’ve also totally upped my Goodreads challenge to 150 books with a stretch of 200 to reflect that, and if I achieve that, it’s gonna be a massive win because last year, I read 120 and the year before, something like 60, so this is mind-blowing for me. XD
Here’s to hoping 2020 brings us all a little something shiny and positive and new.
Love this new list, Cait! I’m still thinking about my new goals. Because some of my last goals, I failed spectacular .. but I want to try them again? Like, finish translating the story and maybe starting a new translation project. Maybe this year I’ll actually reach them? Eh, we’ll see. But I might steal your Ear Ice Cream one because having a nice and easily achievable goal for your mental well being is 👌🏻
Good luck on all your goals and I’m looking forward to what your blogging revamp will look like!
I think it is a great list. We all need to take it easy on ourselves from time to time. I hope you have a great 2020 cait <3
I think it would be a good idea if I get myself an ice cream at the end of the year, too… I want to read at the very least 52 books this year, and really learn to read more pages than the ones I write. Fingers crossed. Good luck with your goals, Cait! I believe you can do it!
“EAT ice cream”
That is a goal that’s on my list too. I need ice cream to survive. All the best with your goals!!! Can’t wait for another book by you on my shelf! Your two boys are looking for another brother or daughter😊
i’m hoping to go a bit slower this year too. i set my reading goal at only 16 so it can be achievable, as i have major exams coming this year and don’t want to pressure myself too much. hope your able to reach your goals!