Happy New Year everyone! And welcome to 2023! 2022 was an especially tough year for me with covid and a slide backwards in fitness health, so we're going into 2023 looking forward, not back.
As usual, I am declaring a theme for this year.
2015 was The Year I Say No.
2016 was The Year I Give No F*cks.
2017 was The Year I Have Fun.
2018 was The Year I Don't Compete.
2019 was The Year I Improve Myself and My Business
2020 was The Year I Lead A Happy Creative Life
2021 was The Year I Develop My Systems
2022 was The Year I Become Stronger, Faster, More Powerful and Positive
2023 will be The Year I Focus on Progress and Cultivate Self-Belief
I actually asked the ChatGPT what my theme for next year should be. Lol. 😂 I told it what I wanted out of next year and asked it what my theme should be. It gave me both of these and I combined them into one.
Because I have always believed in “Progress, Not Perfection.” I should get it tattooed on me somewhere! Perfection is not possible, anyway. And progress is something I want to focus on this year, that journey of doing more and learning more, whenever I can.
And I have to believe in myself in order to do that. My self-confidence in 2022 was at an all-time low. I thought I was a failure at pretty much everything from being a mom and wife to an author and friend. This was during the depths of my post-covid fatigue and depression, and it was hard to shake.
But 2023 is going to help me turn that around. I will make progress and I will believe in myself.
Writing and Publishing Goals
I will write 3 books in my SJP name and 3 books in a new pen name. That's 6 books total! My goal is to write two Skylar Amagi Series books and one Kimura Sisters book as S. J. Pajonas. My other goal is to write 3 books in a brand-new pen name I'm starting. This will be a sexier sci-fi romance pen name that will only be in kindle unlimited. If you read these books, please feel free to message me either via the contact form on this blog or via my FB Page because I will not be revealing the pen name here for a few years. I want to see if I can launch this name with very little help from my existing audience.
Launch a new pen name. As I said, I won't really be talking much about it here except to say I'm working on it. But it will require a lot of work. A new website, logo, book covers, newsletter, social media presence, the works. Thankfully, I already have a name and I have my designer booked for a logo and branding package plus book covers!
Dive into more AI Audio. I'd like to have more AI audiobooks developed next year. Maybe I'll do the Amagi Series and my cozy mysteries? I don't know yet. Still, if I only do ONE book in AI audio, I'll be happy.
Business Goals
I will ramp up Facebook Ads. I'm working with a fantastic Facebook Ads coach who is helping me to develop audiences and strategies for my business. Short of having my FB account shut down (always could happen, you never know) I plan to be there a lot this year, advertising, interacting, and spending money. I already have seen promising results.
I will transition more books away from free to paid and raise prices. Permafree has worked well for me in the past, but it hasn't gotten me to that “next level” (probably because Bookbub refuses to advertise my books? Maybe?) so it's time to try something different. I want people to pay for the work I do. Except for the Nogiku Series (for now), I will be making all of my other free books paid and I will be raising the prices of everything else. They will still be free for newsletter subscribers and can be borrowed from the library too!
I will focus more on my newsletter. I will update the newsletter at least once per month, if not twice. I will work on bringing more readers to my newsletter by offering them free books and exclusive books.
I will continue to spend more time on Facebook. I dropped Instagram this past year because of all the changes they made. Facebook is more aligned with the way I like to interact online with photos, text, and only an occasional video. We'll see if they change too this coming year. I hope not!
Creativity Goals
I will read or listen to 25 books. I hit 21 books last year. Let's go for 4 more! (Of course, I read more books than 21 but my own books read OVER AND OVER don't count. Lol.)
I will learn Italian and Portuguese on Duolingo and Japanese on LingoDeer. I renewed my Duolingo and this year I'm adding Portuguese (Brazilian).
I will continue knitting on blankets when I have time. I like having a blanket always going.
Stretch Goal! I will knit a sweater this year. I have a pattern all picked out and some wool already purchased. I haven't knit a sweater in 10 years. We'll see if I can do it again.
Personal Goals
I will continue making the beach house our second home. I love the beach house already, and I enjoy spending time there. This year, I'd like to hang more photos and posters there and replace some furniture.
Stretch Goal! I would like to go to a conference this year. I'm not sure which one, but probably something author related. This is only a wishlist item.
Fitness Goals
I will bike 2000 miles on Peloton. I did ~2200 miles in 2022 which is fewer miles than I intended, by a lot. It turns out that I need back some of the time I've been spending on the bike for writing and walking. So I'm setting a smaller goal this year.
I will walk more. I would like to increase my walking time by about 25% this year. That means increasing my 45-50 min walks to 60-70 min. I'd like to take afternoon walks most days that I can, as well.
I will increase the time I spend in interval or tabata rides. I still am and always will be a PowerZone gal but I think intervals are important for older women. So I want to do at least one interval ride per week. Either HIIT and Hills Ride or a Tabata Ride.
I will work on keeping sugar out of my diet. I did this for a few months this year, and I think I can do it again in 2023.
Stretch Goal! I will complete a Peloton strength training program. If I'm feeling up for it, I'll try one of the strength training programs on Peloton. But no promises!
And that’s it!
This year, my goals are more modest, but they are all about my theme: PROGRESS and SELF-BELIEF. Let's do this, people! I can't wait to bring you on this ride with me.
Want to share your 2023 goals with me?
Comment and let me know what you’ll be up to in the new year!
