A year in review of writing

You guys! As of this month, I’ve been posting to this little blog for a year. An entire year! HOW is that even possible? I’m still in disbelief.

I’ll never forget the pure nervousness I felt as I announced my first post about the 10 things I’d learned since turning 30. I thought for sure I’d hit “publish” and hear crickets. But you guys SHOWED UP and after that I think I was hooked. ❤️

That post is still one of my favorites to this day (it also still applies to my now 33-year-old self, FYI) and it has me feeling all the feels as I think about where I was and what I felt a year ago when I started this.

As a fun little review and trip down memory lane (or if you’re thinking of doing any writing yourself), I thought I’d bring you along side me as I look over the past year and think about where I want to go next.

The past year in review:

ONE: I can mostly sum up the past year with this: I still love writing. I just do. I’m not saying it’s easy by any means, but that doesn’t make it any less fun for me. As a side note, I honestly wonder how many words I’ve typed up in the past year. (Or maybe I’m better off not knowing. 😉)

TWO: A lesson on writing that I learned this year: The first draft is ALWAYS going to suck. It just is. There’s no way around it, and there’s no way to lesson the blow. Every time I write a first draft, I think Holy smokes, this is TERRIBLE. No one is going to read this. Ever. Like, ever ever. What was I thinking? BUT, with a little (ok, who am I kidding) A LOT of editing and a few tweaks here and there, the posts always find a way to come together. Thankfully. You guys DO NOT want to read me first drafts. Woof.

THREE: It’s been hard to find the time to write, I will say that with certainty. I thought if a person loved writing and enjoyed the process, then it would come easily and I’d always be motivated to sit down at my laptop and tap at the keyboard. What I learned instead is that doing something creative like this takes a massive amount of time and effort – especially if you want to be any good at it.

Going forward:

Knowing what I know now, and with only one measly year under my belt, there are 2 things I want to keep in mind as I move forward on writing:

ONE: I want to keep up with creating a new post every week. There were a couple of times this year where I was lucky to get in two posts in the same calendar month. But seeing what held me up during those times has me thinking that I can rework my schedule a bit and plan a little better to keep producing one post every week. I like the consistency of weekly posts and it challenges me to keep going.

TWO: I want to get my writing more centralized. In other words, I want to get more focused on my blog topics and who I’m talking to.

The truth is, the main goal of writing (while it’s true that I like it and it’s fun for me), is to make sure my words are helpful and that they’re being used to serve you, the reader. As I was going through this first year, I felt like I threw a lot of topics out there without any clear goal in mind or any real consistent topics. It kind of feels like my posts were all over the place.

So, I’ve had to step back and ask myself: Who am I here to serve? Who am I speaking to? And why the heck does God have me so interested in writing? What I’ve come to realize is that the writing that sets my soul on fire is the writing that’s to former me. The me from about 3 years ago who was living with little purpose, the me who didn’t feel great in the clothes I wore, the me who wondered if working and momming all day was truly all there was in the life, the me that wasn’t living a fulfilling life I loved.

If you’re a dreamer, a worn-out mama that’s looking for more, or simply want to leave this life knowing you made an impact on those around you: I’M HERE FOR YOU! And that’s exactly what you’re going to be seeing more of on the blog. (**Sidenote to my friends and family: I’m here for you personally, I just won’t be addressing all the things on the blog. ☺️)

I want to help you mamas create a life you love and want to wake up to each day. Because I just can’t stop believing that God doesn’t want us to live a full life, a life of abundance, and a life where we tap into the gifts he’s given us to make a difference in those around us.

Wrapping Up.

I feel like there are some big changes coming to the blog over the next year and I CANNOT WAIT to see where I’m at by this time next year. What a fun year it’s been! Be sure to leave a comment if you have any questions or suggestions on what you’d like to see more of on the blog.

Thanks always for reading, friend! I appreciate it! ❤️