2012 New Years Resolutions (+ 2011 Wrap-Up)

First and foremost, I'd like to keep ahold of my blogging and reading addiction all throughout next. If this were the only bookish resolution I were to complete in 2012, I'd be pretty happy. Let's hope the blogging and/or YA world doesn't go into total decline before the year is out but for now read on for more of my weird and wonderful goals!

2012 Bookish Resolutions

1. Read 75 Books in 2012 - I've been slowly upping this count each year and it seems to be working for me, I'll probably have to track down the slimmest books around to even come close to completing this challenge but maybe something miraculous will happen.

2. Meet A Blogger IRL! - Last year my goal, was to get to know more bloggers which I succeeded in, now I'd like to actually meet one of them IRL. Any Takers, haha?!

3. Reach 2000 Followers (and keep growing!) - Gaining followers is certainly not the be all and end all of blogging but the milestone seems crucial to getting even further with my blog. And hey, if no ones following it probably means no ones reading either!

4. Write More Creative Posts - If last years goal was to step away from memes, I'd like the focus of this year to be on writing more creative posts to hopefully flex my writing ability a little bit more. 

5. Continue Swapping Books - I love, love, love trading books with fellow Aussies. it's the perfect way to add to my collection while also clearing out some of the unloved titles on my shelves. If I could do the same amount of swaps as last year, my goal will be perfected.

Boring Life Goals of 2012

1. Eat Healthier + Exercise - I'm pretty sure this resolution is one of the most popular but it's the very first time I've committed it to any list of my own. If I were to commit to an exercise regime once a week and quietly cut down on snacks, I'd be pretty happy.

2. Attend More Music Events - Over the past couple years, I've been slowly seeing less and less live music especially since the all-encompassing Soundwave Festival seems to bring out all my faves for one day only. To complete this goal, I'll aim for a couple concerts throughout the year, Taylor Swift in March anyone?

3. Keep Working - I've been lucky enough to pick up a few temp jobs lately which suits me perfectly although long periods in-between roles means more time for blogging, it's probably best if I aim for a more permanent role!

4. Get My Drivers License - I've had my learners permit forever and believe it or not, I've never actually driven. Mostly due to the hassling I get from EVERY LIVING SOUL, I'm going to try and at least go for a lesson or something this year!

5. Save Money and/or Budget - If I were to finally put a proper budget in place, it would be absolutely amazing but I'm doubting I'll ever actually get to that stage so purely kicking butt in the saving department will do for now :)  


Now let's see if I accomplished any of the goals set last year...

Goals Completed In 2011

1. Attend A Literary Event - Yay, I finally attended my first book signing and while I didn't walk away with Maggie Stiefvater's signature, it was awesome to see her work her magic IRL.

2. Get To Know More Bloggers - I think I'm confident in calling this one a pass, mostly thanks to the Aussie Book Swap, I've been getting to know lots of local YA bloggers and it's been awesome!

3. Write 25 Book Reviews in 2011 - I'll have to check the exact number but I'm pretty sure I've reached this goal and I'm hoping my writing ability has improved along with it.

4. Steer Clear of Memes - I wouldn't say I've kept clear from memes, more-so focusing on the memes that are actually really interesting to read and participate in so I'm calling this one a pass!

5. Read The Books I Want - I guess this sounds like a pretty basic goal but with review and library books always turning up at random times, I often seem to put my most anticipated reads to the back of the pile. I think I'm safe in saying, I really kicked through this challenge by setting a new reading pile each month!


Goals Failed in 2011 :S

1. Read 111 Books in 2011 - While I didn't complete this extreme challenge, I'm pretty happy with the quality and quantity of books I did manage to complete  this year.
2. Post More Consistently - I've actually gone in the opposite direction of this post, now I tend to post less often but with more interesting ideas so I guess I'm happy with how that went.
3. Seek Out Genres Other Than YA - I probably only read a few books outside of YA this year, after looking over my books read this year, I can see that I've only really attempted a couple chick-lit/romance :S
4. Get A Domain Name - It looks like I completely forgot about this goal, I guess free hosting is just too convenient although it would be nice to see http://www.goodgollymissholly.com.au/ in the address bar.
5. Complete A Reading Challenge - I guess this is another one to focus on in the future, I'm pretty terrible at consistently participating in a challenge but I guess inventing my own awesome reading challenge doesn't count, does it?

Q: What Is Your #1 Goal For 2012?