This post celebrates my first year as a personal blogger. It’s been a learning experience and something I’ve dreamed of doing for more than a decade. While I’m still getting my feet wet, I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished so far in my first 40 posts marking my blog’s anniversary.

It started with plotting out my goals in 2022 while self-quarantining from COVID-19. During my isolation period, I carefully set my goals in writing using my brand-new Commit30 planner. I jotted down “write more,” and there you have it. This was the impetus to bring Literally Laurie to life.

Before I dive into what I’ve learned leading up to my blog’s first birthday, I want to share my sincere thanks and heartfelt gratitude go to my readers. You know who you are! I have so many avid fans, including family, friends and loyal followers who have helped to keep me motivated and inspired to keep blogging. I appreciate your support as I know how busy we all are; so taking the time to read and engage with my posts makes me very happy. Cheers!

Hobby Blogging; Keep Writing!

I do the best I can do right now as a part-time hobby blogger. I vowed to give it a year and see how it went. Now, I’ve committed myself to one more. I’ll continue to write about what I love – travel, home projects and décor, cooking, gardening and musings about life experiences – until I decide if I need to whittle down my topics. Like my college professors advised me when writing my senior thesis as an English major: Just keep writing. So, I do! And we’ll see where it takes me.

Blogging has allowed me to tap into my creativity with writing, photography and graphic design. From figuring out what the heck to name my blog (stumped me until that “aha” moment!), which platform and hosting service to use, what to write about and how to promote my blog to grow readership, it’s an iterative process, thankfully, so I’m learning as I go!

Celebrating Top-10 Blog Posts

In case you want to catch up on some of my posts, this list is the 10 top-read blogs over the past 12 months.

1. 7 Reasons Why to Plan a St. Maarten/St. Martin Family Vacay
2. Living Room: Gone Griege with Revere Pewter; New Rug Find
3. Checking Off My ‘Fun List’ on Family Trip to St. Maarten
4. March into Spring Goals: Connect with Nature and Purge
5. New Year, Even Better You? Prioritize Your 2023 Goals!
6. Quick Sheet Pan Supper Made Easy with Chicken Sausage
7. Easy How-to Tips to Dry Your Garden Hydrangeas in a Vase
8. Revere Pewter Makes Kitchen and Countertops New Again
9. Pumpkin Spice, So Nice: Make Your Own; Try in Fall Recipes
10. London Finds Me in My Dreams

Why Goal Setting Matters

My initial goal was to blog weekly, as everyone says the more you blog, the easier it will be to get indexed by Google. It’s tough. Developing posts can be a huge time suck. For example, recipes require testing to get them right while travel blogs involve research to connect readers to online resources. Plus, there’s still the photography, posting and promotion. With that said, I plan to eke out at least 45 posts for 2023.

In addition to blog goals, my overarching annual goals work in tandem with my blog. I find it important to track what I want to get out of the year; that’s why I don’t make fly-by-night resolutions anymore. Learn how I planned my goals this year.

Blogging about my goals, how to achieve them and focusing on priorities, ultimately brings me happiness. Plus, it keeps things real. Aren’t we all striving to meet our personal goals to live our best life?

Lessons Learned; Finding Support

Probably the hardest part of starting a blog is that you’ll soon learn you’re a team of one. And, if you’re lucky, you may have family, friends or colleagues who you can run an idea by or ask for some help. Fortunately, I do. My number-one supporter, my husband, proofreads every post, listens to my ideas and critiques my photo selections. Sometimes, too, he’ll thoughtfully (and secretly!) send emails to people he thinks may like a particular post.

I’ve made connections with other newbie bloggers through online private groups. It’s truly incredible how much talent and creativity abounds online with blogs covering a vast array of subjects. I’m expanding my horizons when supporting other bloggers and am inspired by their tenacity. Because, like me, this labor of love is something we squeeze into our precious free time outside work and family commitments.

I’m reading others’ blogs regularly, seeing how they promote theirs and getting the hang of this blogging world, which helps me continue getting up to speed. Some of my blogging buds actually blog on blogging. I love that.

But for the most part, I rely on my instincts for my material and when I get stuck, I reach out to Google to research issues, especially technical ones! Usually, I can find information online that will help me off the ledge when I get really stuck. Sometimes, though, I have to put the issue away for a few days and inevitably I’ll find a solution. Like when I decided shut down my Literally Laurie Facebook profile to create a business page. Finally, I took the plunge. It was painful starting a new Literally Laurie feed all over again; it’s now growing and gaining traction.

What’s on Your Bucket List for 2023?

To close out this post, I want to circle back on you. What’s in it for you in 2023 that would make you feel more accomplished, content and without regrets? Do you want to do something new? Carve out more time for yourself. See more of the world? Be healthier? Connect with family, friends?

I gently urge you to jot down or review your 23 in 2023 goals list (if you haven’t done already!), as there are still many months and days left in the year ahead. Capture your goals in writing or just save them on your phone or computer. Then, chip away at them through the year. See my post on how to be an even-better you in 2023.

Maybe you’ll embrace a new hobby or prioritize something you’ve put off that will bring you joy. Like Literally Laurie did for me.

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