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2014 blogging goals

I’m well aware that it is already two weeks into 2014 and it may seem I’m a little late getting on the ball setting my blogging goals for 2014. Let’s just say it hasn’t been as smooth as start to the year as I would have like. After taking some time to mull over how my 2013 blogging goals worked out and deciding on which word I wanted to describe my year, I have finally figured them out!

Be Fierce.

Its my word for the year and I most definitely want to bring it through my blogging and online life as well. I’m ready to regain some of the confidence and spunk I feel like I’ve lost over the last several years as my health has taken such a sharp decline but I am ready to jump back in and find myself so to speak. Maybe its more like rediscovering myself. I am a firm believer that regardless of the situation you may find yourself in, you can make the choice to allow it to let yourself become bitter or you can allow it to make yourself better and find a way to honor God in spite of it. I believe that this blog is an avenue of the ministry that God has called me to and I need to be a fierce follower of His guidance and allow that passion to be a fire in every aspect of my life.

Get more organized.

I have been a part of the blogging community for almost seven years now (wow!) and I completely understand the need to be organized and how much it can benefit not only your sanity but your readers and community in a big way. The Content Brew* course over at Momcomm was amazing but I feel like I’ve lost the momentum so I am definitely planning on working back through it and building up an editorial calendar. I want to develop a posting schedule that is realistic without being rigid. There are way too many benefits of being an organized blogger to not make it a priority. (*affiliate link but I stand 100% by the awesomeness of this course and would share regardless!)

Write outside of the house at least one day a week.

Not only is it a great goal for me to get out of the house in general one day a week, I know the change of scenery will do great things for keeping the creative juices going! We have a great little coffee shop down the street so I think that will make a great spot to cozy up with a cup of their amazing white hot chocolate and get to writing.

Finally try my hand at vlogging.

I’m sure it seems that vlogging is old news but I have yet to give it a try. I’m not sure if its because I’m pretty shy on top of being introverted or hating the way my voice sounds on recording but I have just not been able to let go of my insecurities. There are a ton of awesome things to do with videos and even take it a step further with Google+ Hangouts (can we say awesome spoonie sister chats?) so I definitely think as a part of embracing being fierce this year, it is time to make the leap!

Complete at least one blog-related pin a week and update at least on old post a week.

Raise your hand if you have the habit of pinning some pretty awesome things yet never actually getting around to doing it. ::Raising both hands:: I am AWFUL about this. I have some pretty great blogging Pinterest boards (if I say so myself) but I need to make being intentional about putting those pretty great resources to use. I have my blogging boards broken down into categories (such as organization and time management, monetization, and traffic/SEO) so by rotating through the categories on a weekly basis, I know I can fix some of the kinks I currently have going on and take A New Kind of Normal to the next level.

Also, with almost seven years of content in the archives, there are some pretty good posts that could use some dusting off by adding some photos (as I know most of my early posts are naked) and updating key words and titles for better SEO. Not only does this make content more Pin-worthy (which is a huge source of traffic), but I like sharing old posts that not only remind me where I’ve been but to share about the journey one takes when living with chronic illness.

Complete the blog redesign and make sure pages are up to date.

Let me clarify. The amazing April from Creative Girl Media is working her design magic to makeover the look here at A New Kind of Normal but I have a thing or two (or ten) to do to make sure that every part of the site is clean and sparkling! Maybe even some glitter thrown here and there! I learned from Melissa in Blog Design for Dummies that a great design is more than visual aspects of a site. It is also about user-friendly navigation, having a consistent style guide so content is visually appealing, and building pages to support and enrich your site.

Read at least 4 books on blogging.

There are some amazing resources out there and its about time I tapped into them. I have read some fabulous books so far (check out my recommended reading list) and I have even more on my must read list. I am determined to get through Mom Blog SEO by Kelby Carr that was on my goal list last year. There are definitely others on my pinterest boards I am ready to get my hands on as well!

Community, community, community.

Creating community and building relationships is at the heart of why I blog. It is why I work hard at Blogging for Endometriosis Awareness and the Secret Support Sisters project. I want more conversations and connecting. I feel like there has been a shift in the blogging world to more of a business approach (which is not an entirely bad thing as even I want to look into options of monetizing) but I think as a result the community aspects have taken a backseat. Maybe I’m the only one who has noticed it or maybe I am crazy. I don’t know but I do know that I want community to be a priority.

 

Have you created any blogging goals for 2014? Any goals for 2014 in general?

P.S. – Here are some great posts on achieving some bloggy awesomeness in 2014:

Go Big! 52 Blogging “To Dos” in 2014

7 New Year’s Resolutions for Bloggers

10 Things To Let Go Of On Your Blog in 2014

bloggingchronic illness

I Miss Writing

If you haven’t noticed, its been pretty quiet around here lately and I don’t like it. I miss writing. A lot. Between working full-time, wrangling a preschooler, attempting to have a decent conversation with my husband, and kicking butt being sick, there are not many hours left in the day. Typically I have always waited until the evening to write but it hasn’t been working for me recently. I want to put my heart and soul into my post but it seems that Temple Run: Brave is the extent of my thinking capabilities after 7pm.

I will be the first to admit that I would rather not blog at all then to throw up a half-thought out, second-rate post. I tried putting one together yesterday and as I read back over it, it went in the trash. Quality over quantity is not just a cliché. It’s a truth in my book.

To help resolve this problem, I am working on two changes.

The first is to begin packing my lunch at work and spend that hour in a quiet location on campus writing at least three days a week. My current office is next to our student center which happens to have an amazing patio area overlooking the lake and fountain which I hope will help facilitate the writing process. I am honestly not sure why I haven’t done this sooner!

Second, we are working on finally setting up an office area where I can write and keep all of my blogging information organized!

This is the area I currently refer to as The Hole:

Office and Laundry Organization Mission

The previous owners built in the car port of the house and this space was a part of the outdoor laundry room. It is my guess when they completed the addition, they were not quite sure what to do with the extra space so they decided to throw in some mismatched cabinets and call it a day.

We had to do quite a bit of work in the laundry area upon moving in (although it’s still not quite where I want it) but everything else has pretty much stayed the same and we’ve had enough. It is basically a junk-catcher.

Everything from my purse to laundry to mail get thrown on the counter and my husband and I have finally gotten to the point where we cannot deal with it anymore plus we both want a place where we can sit down to pay our bills, work on our laptops, and get organized in general.

This will be a great location for a couple of reasons. First, the cabinets and counter provide a good foundation to start with. The fact that none of the four cabinets are the same size presents a challenge but I like knowing we can have designated spaces for things such as camera accessories and art supplies. Secondly, this space is right off the dining/living area so either of us can work while keeping an eye on the wild child.

Some of the things we plan on doing in the renovation include:

  • New flooring! I cannot wait to get rid of that ugly and disgusting floor. If you look closely the linoleum in the laundry room and office space do not match. Why they chose to put down two different patterns is beyond me. We’ve tried our best to cover the floor with area rugs but it just doesn’t work. We are putting down a new tile floor and I cannot wait!
  • New paint! It is a pretty small space so I’m looking forward to adding some fun color! We used gray as a neutral throughout the house so we are thinking of using an aqua to add a pop (we’ve got in narrowed down to Sea Air or Aqua Ocean by Valspar!).
  • New paint for the cabinets! Sanding and painting the cabinets white is also on the agenda to flow with the white cabinets in the kitchen and provide some crisp, clean lines.
  • Organization, organization, organization! Hooks on the wall to hold my purse and Abby’s bag. Baskets, bins, and binders in the drawers and cabinets to organization office supplies, important files, and other items to make the space functional and easy on the eyes! Blogs like I Heart Organizing and A Bowl Full of Lemons have been bookmarked to get ideas on finding proper homes for everything that needs to be housed in this space! Pinterest is also on the list of frequent browsing naturally!

While neither of these is a “cure” for my writing challenges, I’m really hoping that they will each be a step in the right direction!

Do you have struggle with time management and/or organization? What are your favorite tips (or blogs/posts) to help you get on top of things?

 

product review

Review: Home-Ec 101

As much as I wish I was a domestic diva, I’m not. I need a little help in that department. I try to be organized but it often falls to the wayside when I’m busy or flaring. I try to keep a clean house but honestly there are a lot of things I’m not sure what to do or how to do it (for example: when we moved to our new house, we got a new stove with the self-cleaning feature and I must be a moron but I have no idea how to use it – do I just push the button?). And being new homeowners, Hubs and I are trying to be handy when it comes to things around the house but again we’re still in the learning process.

I don’t want to go out and buy a gazillion books. My blog reader has gotten full of of home blogs (which are fabulous don’t get me wrong) but I am looking for a one-stop-shop where I can find resources on basic home issues.

Needless to say, when the opportunity came open to apply to review Home-Ec 101, I eagerly applied and thankfully was chosen.

Written by a fellow blogger Heather Soles, Home-Ec 101: Skills for Everyday Living is just what I was looking for. The layout is simple and clean. There could be more pictures but the text is broken up pleasantly with charts and bubbles. The text is very easy to read and the language is very conversation as if you were sitting down at the kitchen table chatting. There is a welcome amount of humor which is great (unlike some sterile home books I have flipped through). The book is broken up into 4 categories – Clean It, Wash It, Fix It, and Cook It – which make things easy to find. In addition to providing general information of the given topics, there are also inserts from readers asking questions that I think many of us find ourselves asking at one point or another and its nice to now have a resource in which to turn! Heather also includes 4 extremely helpful appendices which includes lists for homemade cleaning solutions, dangerous chemical combinations, a emergency preparedness checklist, and a measurements conversion chart.

All in all, I think this is a great book! It would be great to give to a college graduate or newly married couple setting up their first apartment or house but it is perfectly applicable to every household. I only wish I had found this book and Heather’s site Home-Ec101.com sooner!

**Disclaimer: I was chosen for this review through the One2One Network and was provided a copy of the book to review free of charge. All opinions are 100% my own.**

 

disclaimer

Information posted here should not be considered medical advice. It is not intended to replace consultation with physicians or other healthcare providers. A New Kind of Normal covers my personal experience and because every person's experience is unique, it should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional healthcare.

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