Here it is, my annual goals blog post.
I recently reflected on my goals of 2022 and how they went for me (which you can read here) and as you’ll most likely know, every year I write up my goals for the year and share them with the entire internet.
So, welcome.
This year, we’re stripping it back a lot. We’re working on less goals and narrowing the focus. Hopefully that means this year’s goals will turn out a lot better than 2022’s.
If you would like to catch up on previous years’ goals lists, click on each one below:
1. Less is more
Like I said above, I’m focusing on less goals this year and the same goes for my social media accounts.
In the past I’ve had quite a few Instagram accounts (personal, Orlagh Claire, food, travel, work account and more). I’ve also had a few Twitter accounts (personal, Orlagh Claire, work account, and book Twitter). And also with TikTok, having my Orlagh Claire account and a book account.
Howeverrrrr, this year we’re stripping it right back. One social account on each platform that covers everything. One Instagram, one TikTok, one Twitter.
I’m focusing my energy on less social accounts and hoping I’ll be able to create more content and have the time to create more content on my social accounts, but we both know that probably won’t be the case.
2. Put more energy into YouTube
I have been loving YouTube this past year. It’s strange because I was never ever a YouTube girly. I was never someone that would sit and watch vlogs, makeup videos etc. and I couldn’t tell you who was a popular YouTuber.
But now? Catch my in the gym, on my lunch break, and in my spare time watching YouTube vlogs. Most of the time they are book YouTubers, but I’m on the hunt for more lifestyle-type vloggers as that’s what I’m enjoying.
I love that I’ve been documenting my travel trips and turning them into videos that I can watch back in the future. Find my YouTube videos here!
This year, I want to make more vlogs and also capture footage of my life in London that I’ll also be able to look back on in years to come, not just our travels. So that’s what I’ll be focusing on in 2023 – more YouTube videos!
3. Read 50 books
Sticking with the theme of ‘less’, I’m also aiming to read less books this year. In 2022 I set my target very high to read 100 books and I’m glad to say that I actually did achieve this (you can read all of my reviews for the 100 books here, watch my YouTube video reviewing them here or if you prefer, listen to the podcast version of the 100 books here).
However, reading 100 books in 12 months is intense and hard work. I’m setting my target a lot lower this year, aiming for 50 books. I think I will go over this, but I don’t want to put as much pressure on myself this year and get back to enjoying reading and reading books that I really want to read, not just to meet my target.
2023 will hopefully be a year of great books.
4. Keep learning Italian
Something that I started late in 2022, I began to learn Italian on Duolingo. I’m currently on a 98 day streak of learning the beautiful language and my goal in 2023 is to keep this up and not miss one single day of learning Italian.
I’m not learning it for any reason in particular, but I do work for a luxury Italian fashion house, I work with Italian people and Italy is probably my favourite country to visit and the country (except America) that I have visited the most times.
I think it’s a gorgeous language and I’m having fun learning something new.
5. Go to the gym
I’m usually over-ambitious when it comes to my health and fitness goals in the new year, but I’m keeping it a little easier this year and having my goal as to literally just go to the gym.
Our gym is down one flight of stairs in our apartment building and I haven’t been since pre-Bali which is back in September. Shocking.
So my goal for January is to just step foot in the gym. Go on a bike, go on a treadmill, go on the stair master – just enter the gym.
We’ve also purchased a floor treadmill for the apartment so that we can get our steps in during the day while we work from home. And so far it’s been a god-send. When I work from home, I never get my steps in. But since purchasing the floor treadmill I’ve been getting my 10,000 steps in by 5pm every day.
It’s only been a week so far, but we’re going to see how the long term effects are once I’ve had the treadmill for a few months.
6. Move out of London
Here it is. The one you’ve all been waiting to see on this list.
We all know I haven’t been shy in talking about my dislike for London on my podcast and it’s such a tricky scenario for me because I adore my job so much in London, but I just can’t bring myself to like living in London.
So it’s something I have to think about – what’s more important to me? Where I live, or if I like my job?
I would love a new challenge, a change of scenery and to spread my wings once again. I’ve been in London now for a year and a half, which is the longest I have stayed in one place since I was in university.
Am I settled in London? No, definitely not. There are other countries, continents that I would rather be and I feel like 2023 is the year that the move is going to happen.
7. Travel somewhere new in America
2022 was the year of travelling Europe for sure. The only travel goal I had for 2022 was to go to Paris, and himself took me there for my 25th birthday.
My only travel goal for this year is to travel somewhere new in the US.
We started 2023 in New York City (see my NYC vlog of New Year’s Eve here) and we have plans to go to Las Vegas in March, although this is somewhere I’ve already been to (find my travel blog here).
However, I’m hoping to go back to the US in the summer and travel somewhere new as we’re due to be in the states for a wedding and hoping to make a summer holiday out of the trip. We’ve yet to decide where to go to, but I’m very much hoping to visit a new spot in America this year.
I wouldn’t say no to going back to Nashville either, that’s all I’ll say.
8. Network, network, network
Work-wise I don’t have any big goals except to stay at my current job because I love it so much. In 2023 I’m hoping to expand my network of influencers and press and meet as many people as possible.
I’ve learnt that people really make the world what it is and I want to meet and talk to as many people as possible and expand my network of both friends and work colleagues/contacts.
We shall see what 2023 brings, but hopefully some new friends and people to work with.
And there you have it, my eight goals for 2023.
Nothing too extreme, cutting back on a lot and big travel goals. Catch me reading less, posting more, and being more outgoing – hopefully.
Leave a Reply