2013 Blogging Goals

1. Write about things that matter. Don’t worry, I will still be including all things silly, superficial and sarcastic (after all, blogging should be fun…) but in general I want to take the time to write more posts about issues and causes I am passionate about. In 2013 you can expect more posts about marriage enrichment and adoption.

2. Use my influence (however big or small) for His glory. Blogging takes a lot of time and energy…it can be easy to get bogged down and discouraged by stats and think “well no one is reading anyway…” This year, I plan on spending less time on google analytics and more time connecting with readers. Just like offline relationships, I want to focus on quality, not quantity. Also, as we all know, blogging can be very narcissistic. I want to really examine the heart behind every word in every post…is my writing and photography glorifying myself or God? If you haven’t already, I urge you to check out The Influence Network. I can really resonate with their motto, “Make your online life mean something”.

3. Choose my family over blogging. Every time. I wrote a little more about this last Friday…

4. Host more link parties. In 2012, I sponsored the Fave Fall Fixin’ link party. It was a great learning experience and I was able to connect with several new bloggers. I’d like to start a more regular link party in 2013.

5. Work on incorporating more design into my posts. As a designer, I love visiting blogs which incorporate beautiful editorial layouts and read more like magazine spreads (Design Love Fest is a great example). Too often I get lazy in this area.

6. Learn how to create and post an artistic animated gif. I plan on using Pugly Pixel’s tutorial to create my own.

7. Grow an authentic online community. I really love it when readers leave comments. This means you! I want this to be a safe place for lively discussion and encouragement.

8. Take a leap of faith and launch a side-photography business. There. I’ve said it out loud. Ahhh this one is scary!

I plan to accomplish all these goals in my free time, you know, after caring for a newborn (ETA March) and chasing my toddler around…

What are your blogging goals for the new year?

Also, be sure to check out my guest post today over at Ciera’s Design Blog. I’m sharing my thoughts on when to walk away from a freelance project.