I’ve always loved New Year’s Day–it’s filled with such a profound sense of possibility. Every resolution, every goal, feels like it’s attainable, if only for today. But in many ways, I feel like this blog is devoted to dwelling in the spirit of New Year’s Day throughout the entire year–and that’s why I’m going to use today’s Five for Friday to outline some of my goals for She Dwells.
Keeping in mind that my word for 2016 is Authentic, I’m going to focus on goals that are in keeping with my own sense of an authentic self and with the original mission of this blog: to encourage women to explore the full range of possibilities their lives present. I’m especially interested in being a source of encouragement for women over 50, many of whom are in the process of redefining themselves after a long period of being defined in relation to others: children, a spouse, an aging parent.
With that goal of authenticity in mind, then, here are my five blogging goals for 2016:
1. Because blogging is a creative activity–and because being creative is a huge part of what makes me feel most like myself–I’ll maintain my schedule of posting three times a week after I go back to teaching in mid-January. I’ve been on sabbatical during the fall, which made it easier to blog around the edges of my novel-writing schedule (as a warm-up exercise, or just as writing practice), and I’m not sure how I’ll manage the time to write posts with the same frequency during a regular semester. But my goal is to find a way.
2. I’ll feature more women in the On Her Way series that began with Cyn’s story of returning to college in her 40’s. (On Her Way features women telling their own stories in their own words.) If you have a story you can tell in about 500-750 words, please get in touch with me using the Contact link above. If you know someone who has a story, please encourage her to do the same. Our stories have the power to change lives, so let’s work together to share them.
3. I’ll include more Table for Two recipes in 2016. Cooking is another creative activity I enjoy, and it really isn’t difficult once you’ve mastered a few of the basics–but my husband is so easy to please at dinnertime that I’ve fallen into some lazy habits. In 2016, I’m going to spend more time experimenting in the kitchen and sharing my discoveries.
4. I’ll make a priority of supporting other bloggers, rather than focusing entirely on my own blog. I’ve recently discovered Debra’s terrific blog, A Touch of Clash, and I’m already following several others on a regular basis–but I rarely take the time to comment on or share blog posts that I admire. Since I hope other people will share my work, I’m going to make sure I do the same.
5. Finally–but on a related note–I’m going to start using social media in different ways. My blog posts automatically share to Facebook, Twitter and Google+, but that’s about the extent of my social media presence as a blogger. I’ll make a more concerted effort to share others bloggers’ posts on Facebook and Twitter. I’ll also share my own posts to Pinterest more regularly, and I might even do the same on Instagram. Photography is another creative pursuit that I really enjoy, and there’s no better way of being authentic than presenting photos with No Filter. If you’re interested in following me on either of those services, you can find me here on Twitter and here on Instagram.
That’s a pretty hefty list of goals, I realize–and I’m not entirely sure how I’m going to put them all into action. But my goal is to try, because anything is possible when you dwell in possibility.
Bring it on, 2016!
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