Hello Again // A Couple Stats + 2017 Goal(s)

*looks at blogging calendar* *winces*

*shuffles onstage* *clears throat nervously* I’m really sorry – *pauses in thought* Actually, never mind – I’ll spare you the soppy apology monologue. You’re welcome. 😉

Well… we meet again. *cue dramatic music* Last time I posted was before Christmas – so I guess we have a little to catch up on. 🙂

 I’ll start off with my outlook on 2017 – note: originally written at the beginning of January. So, let’s begin, shall we?

 

I’m feeling super optimistic about this year! I have a feeling that it’s going to be a great year for me – obviously it’ll have its ups and downs, like any year, but overall, I can’t wait for it to start… wait, it already has. XD

I’m not going to do a ‘Year In Review’ post (you guys are probably sick and tired of them by now), but I’d just like to say that creating my blog was by far the best thing that happened in 2016.  I’ve met so many amazing bloggers, such as Loren, Clara, Megan, Allison, Grace, Vivian, and lots of others!

In 2016, I had 644 views, 166 visitors, 83 likes, 40 followers, and 165 comments. That may not seem like a lot to some of you, but every like, follow and comment makes my day!

This year, my main goal is to finish writing the first draft of my WIP. By the end of 2016, it was at around 6000 words… a head start, but I’ve got a long way ahead. Generally, I can write 200 words in a sitting, which to those of you who don’t write (that is, aren’t writing a novel, I’m fairly certain all of you know how to write ;)), isn’t that much, at least for me.

Mostly, I didn’t write a lot at a time because I was typing on an iPad, and the tips of my fingers would get sore (believe me, it can happen!). And not being able to write much at a time left me discouraged, and I’d leave my novel-to-be to collect dust for a month, sometimes more. And doing that would make me feel uninspired, and even if I did open my Pages document, I would barely write anything, sometimes only a few lines. Basically, a vicious circle. 

But now – something big has changed. I now have a computer. And guess what? It’s so much easier to type. I can write way more in one sitting – and that way, I won’t be left feeling discouraged and uninspired. For example, today my goal was to write 400 words, two times what I usually can write. I wasn’t sure if I would be able to do it… I thought that I would most certainly have to do it in two sittings, and I could easily imagine myself stopping at 300.

I managed to write 512 words – in one sitting. Again, that may seem like nothing to to some of you, but to me, it’s a lot.

Another goal that I have is to be more relaxed, which isn’t exactly actionable, but more a mental choice, I think. I guess I’ll see how it goes – but I’m confident that, with God’s help, I can do it. 🙂

And that brings us to my third goal… trusting God. I love God, I really do. But sometimes it’s hard for me to put my worries and doubts aside and let Him lead the way. This year, I’m going to focus on worrying less and trusting God more.

Well, firstly, I’m back! As long as my life doesn’t get too busy, I’m going to be hanging around here for a loooong time. 🙂 I’ve got some fun posts planned… bullet journaling, Lent, writing advice (yes… don’t follow it XD), and more! So stay tuned, my evil minions friends!

What do you think of my new theme/post header thingies? How have your goals for 2017 been going?