Happy New Year! 🎆🎇🎉 I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season! Every year around this time, I take some time to reflect and also anticipate what the next year will look like. Here were my goals and resolutions from last year: uploading 30 blog posts, 12 photo sessions, completing 2 illustrations, reading 4 books, creating solid routines, and financial savings. When I look at my creative goals, I actually did not reach them. After doing some introspection, I was feeling a little burnt out from work, and it bled into my creative work. On the other hand, I was able to start a high-yield savings account (for my financial goal) and read 4 books this year!!! I finished reading the following books:
- “The Messy Lives of Book People” by Phaedra Patrick (I started this book in December 2024, so I guess I read 4.5 books for 2025)
- “What to Say Next,” by Julie Buxbaum
- “Same Beach, Next Year” by Dorothea Benton Frank
- “Just for the Summer” by Abby Jimenez
- “The Pumpkin Spice Café” by Laurie Gilmore
This year, I want to continue to work on goals and resolutions from last year. I want to make sure I have creative goals and personal resolutions to set up my 2026 year. I also want to have a word for the year: Sustainability. This is pretty multifaceted. In the past, I’ve typically started the year feeling super motivated, but then towards the middle and end, it kinda trickles down. Burnout definitely plays a part in that. So I want to make sure I can sustain or continue on a project or routine. Additionally, there are a few Bible verses that talk about God being the one who sustains me.
- Psalm 54:4 (NIV): “Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me.”
- Psalm 55:22 (NIV): Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.”
Goals
Upload 52 Blog Posts for the Year
Yes, I know 52 is wayyy more than it was last year. But I have a more intentional way to keep myself accountable to make sure I complete this goal. I also want to make sure that I am creating/documenting every single day, even if it’s on a smaller scale. My goal is to photograph one image per day, create a weekly blog related to the image, and collage the images together. It also encompasses all the aspects of this blog journey together (art, just for fun, lifestyle, and reflections). It will be called the “52 Weeks in a Year, One Photo a Day” Project.
24 Vlogs for the Year
This past year, I have been really into documenting life and having fun getting to vlog and edit. I will say there were moments where I was burnt out with the editing task, especially when there were lots of footage to go through. But I really like going back to different parts of my life and re-living the moments! I think it will also help me to slow down and live in the moment as I film and create.
Misc. Creative Projects
I’ve alluded to this for the past few years, but I have a few storybook ideas, so my goal is to prioritize this project! And of course, I would love to do more photography sessions. I’ve really wanted to do a session on the beach, so maybe that could be a reality this year… we’ll see how it goes!
If you’d like to collaborate on a session with me, you know what to do! Reach out to book your next session!
Resolution
Read at Least Four Books📚
I’m bringing this back for 2026. For a while, I’ve been utilizing the Libby App on my iPad to listen to audiobooks and read e-books. Reading is also a great skill to continue to sharpen, so my goal is to read four physical books or e-books. If you have any book recommendations, please let me know! Additionally, the librarians at my high school have been encouraging me to check out books and read. They also have a book club, so maybe I can participate in that… we’ll see how that goes!
Create a Consistent, Healthy, and Solid Morning and Night Routine 🌅
I’m bringing this one back this year. In terms of my current routine, it’s been going well. I want to incorporate more time to spend with God, especially in the morning. Ideally, I would love to read a chapter in the Bible and pray to start my day. But now that I am working with an early start time, being in high school, I found that to be very challenging… My challenge is to try to wake up a few minutes earlier than I do right now (I currently wake up at 6:00 AM) and build up to waking up at around 5:30 AM. I was scrolling on Instagram, and there was a reel that talked about waking up early to do something you enjoy. I think if I could start the day with something enjoyable, that might motivate me to actually wake up early!
Links
Here are some links to products that I will be utilizing a lot this year (and what’s been mentioned earlier):
- NIV Life Application Study Bible
- ESV Single Column Journaling Bible
- Bible Tabs with 2 Bookmarks
- Canon EOS R6 Mark II Camera
- Canon RF50mm F1.8 STM Lens
- SanDisk 128GB Extreme PRO SD Card
- ULANZI Camera Hot Shoe Phone Holder Tripod Mount Adapter w Cold Shoe Mount
- Apple iPad (10th Generation): with A14 Bionic chip, 10.9-inch Liquid Retina Display, 256GB, Blue
- iMieet New iPad 10th Generation Case 2022 10.9 Inch with Pencil Holder, Trifold Stand Smart Case with Soft TPU Back,Auto Wake/Sleep(Pink)
- Apple Pencil (1st Generation)
- XIRON 2 PACK Paper Screen Protector for iPad 10th Generation 2022(10.9 Inch)
- Planner
- Highlighter
- Pen
- “The Messy Lives of Book People” by Phaedra Patrick
- “What to Say Next,” by Julie Buxbaum
- “Same Beach, Next Year” by Dorothea Benton Frank
- “Just for the Summer” by Abby Jimenez
- “The Pumpkin Spice Café” by Laurie Gilmore
I hope everyone has a great New Year! I’m anticipating what this year has to bring. Let me know what your goals and resolutions are for 2026.
XOXO
*Hey! Just wanted to let you know that this post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through the links, I will earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support!*
[…] for a year, and this project helps me with that goal! Take a look at my New Year’s blog post here. Additionally, this is a great way to continue to sharpen all aspects of the foundations of this […]