Goals and Life Update | How I deal with day to day struggles

 

I was supposed to finish my Book Haul post today, but instead, here I am writing an update on everything blog, books and life-related.

It’s been a very long time since I posted anything slightly more personal, and I miss my Monthly Goals posts where I plan ahead and give you a little bit more information about what I am hoping to achieve in the upcoming month. Thus I’ve decided to combine my usual TO-DO checklist with a few updates on what has been going on in my life behind the screen.

READING & BLOGGING SLUMP

Let’s start with the obvious one. Since October – November last year, I’ve been in a huge reading and blogging slump. There were still a few books that I managed to read here and there, as you can see from my recent Wrap UP.

However, my problems were the e-ARCs that needed to be read and reviews that I had to write afterward. Sometimes it can be rather daunting. Especially, when the free time for reading and writing kept reducing every week to practically non-existent.

Like most of you, blogging is something I do in my spare time, usually on the weekends, or in the evening after work (which, let’s admit, is rather rare to be able to sit down and write blog posts after a very long day of work). And just like that, when life gets in the way, everything else naturally recedes into the background.

This might be a hobby, but staying away from it makes me sad. So instead of crying about lack of time, I’ve decided to make the most out of those spare minutes of free time I happen to have here and there!

⃞   Goal #1: Do not stress about writing reviews and just write everything that comes to mind.

⃞   Goal #2: You cannot read ALL the books, no matter how bad you wish you could. Pick up the books that really interest you.

LIFE STRESS & WELL-BEING

The past couple of months have been many things – stressful, tiring and incredibly busy, and I’ve discovered that, even though the feeling passes quickly, I give in too easily to the day to day struggles.

I’ve also discovered it is very important what kind of people you surround yourself with. And I couldn’t be more grateful to my friends and family for the help they provide every day without even knowing it.

To combat the feeling of grey days and repetitiveness in my life, I finally took some time for myself this month. Be it going to the movies, meeting with friends, starting a new book or a quiet night in working on the blog, it helps to turn off from the routine and bring some excitement back.

⃞   Goal #3: Do not be busy, be productive.

⃞   Goal #4: Do not be scared to make new friends or reunite with the old ones.

INSTAGRAM & INSPIRATION

Ever since I stopped posting regularly on my blog, I also stopped posting on my Instagram page, which is CRAZY.

When you post every single day for almost a year, it becomes more than a habit. I would wake up at 7 am, just to realize that there are no photos to post because I haven’t dedicated any time to taking and editing them.

Going through slumps and busy working schedules did nothing to help with inspiration for the other part of my life – which led to me being unhappy with the way my blog and my Instagram feed looked. Which led to not wanting to continue with the same style. Which consequently led to being lost. Etc. You get the point.

To overcome this, all I had to do was keep trying to work around my theme, improve little things, get a few new props and voilá! Here is my current Instagram feed that I am loving:

Also, I finally got myself a wooden backdrop (actually made of wood!). The weather has been horrible for the past 3 weeks, but as soon as the sun is back for good, I will be painting it and hopefully coming up with a slight theme change of my Bookstagram pictures.

⃞   Goal #5: Do not wait for inspiration to hit me, keep working regardless.

⃞   Goal #6: Push through the laziness and struggles to see the results you are hoping for.

CURRENT READING PLANS & BLOGGING PROJECTS

In my nearest future, I see myself finally reading «Ready Player One» by Ernest Cline. Now that I’ve seen the trailer, I have to read it before the movie hits the cinemas on 29th of March.

I loved writing this post, so maybe, if you like it too, I will do more of these updates later on. For now, there is a rather long list of blog ideas on my Google Keep that needs to be structured into proper posts. What else can you do in this horrific weather, if not sit at home and write blog posts?!

P.S. It has been raining non-stop for 3 weeks now! And it is actually raining right now as I am writing this. And the worst thing is – I am starting to get used to the rain! We need some sunny days ASAP!

⃞   Goal #7: Take control over my physical TBR pile.

⃞   Goal #8: Do less planning and begin pending projects.

And here we are with a list of life/ blogging/reading goals for the upcoming months. I am considering to print them up and put in my A4 frame right in front of my bed! 

What I would love to know the most is how have you been during these last couple of months. Leave your stories/thoughts and comments down below!

P.S. My blog turned 2 years this month and surprisingly I published 200 blog posts so far, making this one 201st! Thank you all so much for your support, feedback, and friendship. Some of you stuck with me and this blog since the very beginning, some of you are relatively new, but all of you make my life so much more gleeful!

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