Happy New Year! I’m writing this on a hangover and about four hours of sleep. And, truth be told, I got halfway through writing it on the 1st January and had to put myself to bed because I couldn’t keep my eyes open. Anyway, let’s call 2nd January the official first day of the year, because I expect most of you probably started the way in a similar way. And if you didn’t, kudos to you.
I see a new year as an excuse to build on the foundations set in the previous year, so reading my Hello 2019 post, I reflected on 2018 as being a year of consolidation. I got rid of demons and anxieties that had been haunting me from a past relationship and in turn, I built a better relationship with myself and my anxiety through counselling.
I wanted 2019 to be a year of growth. And it has most definitely been that. I changed career paths, I grew my blog and my online presence and I bought a house with Dan. I met lots of new people and expanded my horizon. So in terms of growth, I think I can feel pretty accomplished on that front! I’ve also grown lots as a person and in 2019 I face a few hurdles which in hindsight, I know were a great learning curve.
What will 2020 bring? More growth, I hope, but I want this year to be a year of learning and nurturing. I want to nurture the skills I already have and build on what I learned in 2019. I want to learn more to not only aid my blog development but also my career too.
So here are my goals for the next 366 days (that’s right guys, it’s a leap year!!)
Nurture My Blog
Last year, my general goal for my blog was ‘keep on blogging.’ And it’s safe to say I did exactly that! Not only did I really find my focus of Milton Keynes, but I also tripled my pageviews, secured some amazing collaborations with the likes of Jet2.com, Sainsbury’s and some fabulous local businesses. I also launched Sophie’s Supper Club which was a bit of a bonus goal but one I am so glad I pursued. All of this additional work has meant I can cover all the running costs for my blog as well as making some profit.
My goals this year include exploring new mediums for content – like creating videos and I’m also thinking about a podcast! I want to host more supper clubs and build a stable foundation whereby I can start to rely on my blog for more income. It isn’t easy to do with a full-time job, but now we are more settled into our new house, it’s much easier to focus on this aspect.
I also want to protect what I do. I was burned last year by situations where others were attempting to use my own success to fuel theirs. It felt less and less like a collaborative effort. It sounds selfish, but sometimes you’ve got to put the blinkers on and not only work independently but work with others on your own terms.
Learn, Learn, Learn
I didn’t ever appreciate the satisfaction and excitement that came with learning. I loved university because it gave me freedom to learn and passion for learning independently. I have felt very dissatisfied for the last few years because I wanted to learn new skills that would help me and develop my career but I didn’t have the time to engage. Instead, I pursued learning from my blog and other people.
I have a much better opportunity to learn more this year. My new job in social media has been a learning curve in itself and I now know that this is what I want to do. So this year, I want to learn more to help develop my career and also my blog. This includes courses (through my job or ones I find myself) doing webinars, workshops, going to conferences and networking events. I also want to make sure I am dedicating at least one hour a week to Grow & Glow, a platform I joined last year. There is a wealth of resources on there for bloggers which I want to make the most!
Prioritising Myself
A big ol’ cliché goal coming right up!
Last year, I just said I wanted to move more. And I did – I stuck at a gym routine for much longer than I ever have and I loved it. It felt so good. This year I need to get back at it. I feel sluggish, tired and a bit demotivated and I know it’s because I’ve not got my routine that I managed to nail! I found real enjoyment in weightlifting last year. It made me feel really empowered. strong and I loved seeing progress every week. I’m definitely going to get back into it again as well as going back into the habit of going to hot yoga classes at Sweat Studios.
I also got bad at giving myself a break last year. I want to get better in factoring in time for myself to just read, write or go outside for a walk. Easier said than done!
Say Goodbye to Negative Thinking
This is a terrible habit that definitely became deeper routed last year. I am naturally quite an anxious person, and whilst outwardly I seem very positive, my brain is working overdrive and always thinking of the worst-case scenario. I give negativity far too much space in my brain. For example, I didn’t get a job I really wanted last year, and I let it get to me for far too long. In the end, everything worked itself out and I am happy with my new role but it really affected me.
Moving forward, I need to curb the negative thinking and getting sucked into it. Dan has found Headspace really useful for combatting negative thought processes, so it’s something I need to work on this year. I kept a gratitude journal for six months last year where I wrote down three things I was grateful for every day, so I think it’s time to start that up again!
What to expect from Sophie etc in 2020
Hopefully, I can keep myself accountable for those goals – they’re out in the universe now! I think it’s important to make goals achievable and not out of reach. With a renewed focus I know I can tick some of these off.
My 2020 blog planning spreadsheet is already populated with plenty of post ideas for this year. I’m going to publish a post once a week going forward either on a Sunday or Monday, which I got into the habit of doing last year but with a new house and job to manage, it slipped a bit!
Here is a quick rundown of my 2020 plans…
🍋 More Milton Keynes content! In particular, I want to produce more guides for things to do and events to look out for.
🍋 A NEW and refreshed guide to the most Instagrammable locations in Milton Keynes (coming soon!)
🍋 More new Milton Keynes Food Guides including where to find the best afternoon tea and Sunday Roasts. I’ll also be adding to my existing guides. My MK Food Guide is the only guide I know of locally that only features independent restaurants, so I think it’s pretty special!
🍋 More Sophie’s Supper Club events – I’ve already started planning the 2020 schedule so keep an eye out for my next date announcement!
And of course, I’d love to hear if you have any ideas or feedback for me. It really helps me to create content that you want to read.
Yikes, that was a long one. Well done if you made it to the end!
I am really excited for 2020 – I love the feel fo a fresh new year to get cracking on new goals and aspirations. I hope you all have a very happy, healthy and successful new year!
What are your goals for 2020?
