My Blogging Goals for 2016

2016 is only a few days away. It's crazy to think about how much has happened during 2015 and how much has changed. There's so much more I want to do with Anika May - bring on the new year!

Attend more events
Back in September I went to the Next Blogger Network event and absolutely loved it. Not only did I meet more people and get top tips from my favourite bloggers, I also won an award and got to spend time in London – the most exciting city in the country. Being quite a shy blogger, I was originally going to reject my invitation to the event because the idea of turning up to a room full of strangers totally alone was daunting. However, after being there for a few short minutes, I met some new people and managed to make friends. I’ve learned so much more about the blogging industry and enjoyed it to the full. My experience there only makes me want to visit more events and meet more people. Twitter chats and meetups are exactly the way to do that so I plan to do more in the New Year.

Write about anything and everything
The best thing about having a blog is being able to express yourself in your own little corner of the internet. I can do that as frequently as I want with Anika May, and although timid to experiment at first, I love to write about my experiences and opinions. I plan to improve my journalistic skills, but I also would like to write about whatever I chose and whenever I chose. The blogging community is enormous and it can be difficult to find your area or find a place where you fit in. I don’t really fit a mould, as I used to struggle to define Anika May. Now it’s just “my blog” and I can write about anything. Some posts are more popular than others, but it’s important for me to remember that blogging is a hobby not a chore. It should never become a burden and that’s the mind-set I’d like to continue in 2016.

Travel more
I always blab on about travelling, whether its places I’d like to go, why I’d like to travel or an obsession with individual cities. There’s something about packing up and seeing something new I’ve always been drawn to and it’s very difficult to ignore the need to explore. Photography is a huge interest of mine and although I don’t plan on becoming a profession photographer, taking photos of exquisite landscapes is exhilarating and only ignites my passion for travel more. I’d love to learn about new cultures and aim to travel to different countries around the globe. The list of places I’d like to go is endless, but that’s the stimulating part.

Blog full-time
At the moment, I work full-time in the head office of a building society. It’s not the most animated job as it’s from 9am to 5pm every day, five days a week. I sit at a desk, in front of a computer and complete the work that has to be done. Blogging is similar, in that I can sit at my desk, for hours on end and stare at a computer screen, but I’m also doing something that I’m passionate about and would like to do for the rest of my life. Writing, taking photos and experiencing something new are just three things that blogging provides straight away and it’s always been something I want to do. Whenever I start a blog post, I’m eager to complete it; and I’m slowly becoming obsessed with stalking other bloggers too.

Be more active
Blogging and working can be really difficult, but to be a more effective blogger I need to be much more active. I can go days without tweeting or posting anything on Instagram and that’s something I’d really like to improve. Of course, I’ll never add loads of pressure on making sure I have an Instagram post that’s exactly 24 hours after the previous one, but remembering that my blog has these accounts would be a good start. I’d also like to start actively replying to comments. I read every comment, tweet and see every like that I receive, but maybe it’s time to start thanking be people that take the time to actually show appreciation. 

Improve quality
Quality-wise, there’s always room to improve. Luckily, my blog helps me to do this on a regular basis without going too far out of my comfort zone or losing control of my spare time. I love making improvements on my blog, whether it’s design or content. One thing I’ve learned since creating Anika May is that quality matters so much more than quantity. Readers and followers would rather enjoy a really engaging blog post over average blog posts published every day. When I was recognised at the Next Blogger Network event I was so encouraged to blog, the surge of creativity and motivation was awesome! The more I work on Anika May, the more fulfilled I'll feel :)

Amazing things can happen, what are your goals for 2016?