2022
What’s to Come?
Ya’ll…happy new year!
After taking the last two weeks off to enjoy the holidays and have time to refresh, this week I’m filling ya’ll in on my hopes, plans, and goals as we move into 2022.
Now, usually when I put one of these things together I like to focus on my personal goals, things like reading more and being on my phone less (and you can read about those goals from 2021 here.) But 2022 is the year of the #girlboss baby, and I’ve decided I want to focus on career goals this time around!
Writing is what I want to do. In an ideal world, getting paid consistently for that writing work would be the most rad. So in 2022 I’m focusing on the things I need to do to (hopefully) make that happen. A lot of those goals surround this blog and turning it into something you’ll want to come back to week to week or share with others therefore helping me grow my audience.
First things first, I’ve started a Ko-fi account. If you’re unfamiliar with Ko-fi, it’s a website, not unlike Patreon, where people who support artists/writers/podcasters etc. can tip those creators with a one time or monthly contribution. But Ko-fi frames their tips in the idea of “buying a coffee” for your creator of choice. Of course I don’t expect anyone to send money my way but if you’ve enjoyed my work over the last two years or have found something useful/funny/entertaining through this blog I would be so incredibly thankful if you’d buy me a coffee!
I’m also playing with the idea of putting a Patreon together but that would be more of a commitment from both you and me. Patrons make a monthly contribution to a creator who in turn creates Patreon exclusive content for those patrons who are willing to contribute…but figuring out the right “rewards” is complicated. Creators want to create rewards that feel worth it for their patrons but that don’t take too much time and effort away from their main work focus. So, I’m still in the early days of figuring out if Patreon is the way to go but if you are someone who would be interested in becoming a patron of mine, what kind of exclusive rewards would make it worth your time? Exclusive essays? Patron only book club? Let me know in the comments!
Moving on, have you ever noticed that “sign up for newsletter” part at the bottom of my home page? Hell, you might have even actually signed up. But in the two years since I started this blog, you’ve never once received one of these alleged newsletters….well that’s because I’ve never actually put one together. Whoops. I swear I had the intention to figure it out but I got overwhelmed in the early days and just never managed to go back to try again. So in 2022 I’m determined to start a monthly newsletter. No really, I swear! It’ll likely be a round up of that month’s articles for anyone who may have missed out the first time around. Don’t expect it for the end of January but…the end of March? Start checking those inboxes! (And remember to sign up for the newsletter so you can see if I actually stick to my word here.)
Lastly, and least tied to the blog, I’d like to find more freelance opportunities for 2022. In 2021 I was lucky enough to find a couple of freelance gigs that, while they didn’t pay a lot, gave me a chance to have my writing seen by a whole new audience. And I want more of that! I’m obviously new to the freelance world and have a lot to learn about pitching and finding publications and sites to pitch to but I’m excited by the prospect of adding more articles to my portfolio. Last year it was four…let’s see if I can hit at least five in 2022! If you’ve got any places you think my style would be right for or you’d like to see me work with…I’m all ears.
2022 has just begun and it’s hard to say what’s to come in this year. We all were SURE 2021 would be a good one and, well, we all saw how that went. So while I’m not letting my hopes fly too high for 2022, when it comes to the business and career stuff I figure hey…ya gotta start somewhere and this year it’s with branching out to more freelance gigs, creating a Ko-fi (and maybe Patreon?) profile, and actually starting to get my newsletter up and running!
2021 was my best (professional) year yet and fingers crossed that 2022 will have it beat!
So what are your goals for 2022? Are they personal? Professional? Do you have big health goals or self-love goals? I want to hear about all of them in the comments below!