Even though I rarely check in on them to see how I’m getting on, for some reason I still feel it’s necessary every year to sit down and write some bookish and bloggish resolutions. Occasionally, I’ll even do a couple for “real life” as well. Visualise it, write it, achieve it, and all that jazz! Without further ado, let’s review last year’s resolutions to see how epically I managed to fail in 2016!

1. Actually Get Some Bloody Bookshelves!

THIS one, I have achieved!

We’re off to a good start. Finally, finally, I have beautiful bespoke bookcases to call my own.

These were designed by me, with a 3D visual of how they would look provided by my sister (to make sure I LOVED the design before I went ahead with buying the materials!), and they were handmade by my dad. A true family project! They’re walnut veneer, with solid walnut edging, and clear varnish finish. And I am IN LOVE with them. I’ll be doing a post all about them soon, with lots of pictures!

2. Revive Babes and Books!

This was a massive fail. I honestly can’t believe it’s been so long since we buddy-read a book! The group consists of me, Brandie @ Brandie is a Book Junkie and Stef @ Caught Read Handed. Check out previous Babes and Books reviews. What do you think girls, should we give this a go again in 2017?

3. Make Review Notes!

I did actually make some review notes in 2016, but definitely not enough! It SO helps to have notes when writing up reviews, especially if like me, you’re quite behind in getting the reviews posted for the books you’ve already read. I should really focus on this in 2017, it would make life much, much easier.

4. Keep a Quote Notebook.

Failed in epic proportions at this one, and it’s still something I’m threatening to do. I’m keeping a journal by my bedside table this year. It WILL happen!

5. Clear My NetGalley Backlog!

This time last year it was my NetGalley backlog I wanted to clear up. Now, it’s my physical ARCs/books for review I’d like to get down. I don’t leave things unfinished, so it will happen. Eventually.

6. Do Blog House-keeping.

This is pretty much a permanent goal when you have your own blog, and are a highly organised person! I did LOADS of housekeeping last year, and it’s an on-going process. Especially when you’re a bit of a perfectionist.

7. Schedule Like A BOSS!

Meh. This was so-so. Sometimes I scheduled two week’s worth of posts in advance, sometimes I was barely able to get just one post up in a month. Last year I learned a lot about myself as a blogger – about how to balance my hobby with “real life”, about how the world wouldn’t end if I went off the radar for a little while, and about how fab my readers are, because when I burst back on to the scene you’re all here to chat, discuss, and tell me how much you missed me <3.

This year, I’ve freed myself from what I consider to be blogging restraints – I’ve ran away from reading challenges, and I aim to focus more on quantity over quality. I’d still like to schedule in advance when I can.

8. Stay On Top Of Cross-Posting

I’ve been really good at this! I’m really behind in getting actual reviews up, but when I do, they’re cross-posted like a boss! I post a full review on my blog and Book Bridgr, and post a review synopsis on Goodreads and Amazon (UK). For a while, I tried to post to Wordery and The Book People, but that was a massive commitment. I’d like to cross-post to more sites, but alas, I’m only human and this ain’t a paid gig.

9. Stay Active On Twitter

I’ve been much more present on Twitter in 2016. I’ve fallen off the radar a little so far this year, but I’ll get back to it again soon. It’s just too difficult to go through posts from over 500 people, so I have lists for regulars I check in on. I am missing out on things sometimes, but I’d rather engage more regularly with accounts I’m interested in than be swamped in noise.

10. Comment on More Blogs

This was another so-so one. I’m good at going through Bloglovin’ and keeping up with new posts, but sometimes I visit and skim read without having the time to comment. This year, I intend to cut down the number of blogs I follow (some are just historic follows with blogs I don’t engage with anymore for a variety of reasons), so that I can focus on building more meaningful relationships with the bloggers I love. Hopefully, that means more commenting.

I’ll be posting my 2017 Resolutions soon (I’m going with 5 this year). Overall, I think 2016 went quite well. Have you reviewed your 2016 Resolutions? How did you do? Let me know in the comments!