As I sit here trying to ignore the pain in my ribs from baby kicks, I thought I’d hop on and give you a glimpse at some of the things I’ve been working on and some of the things that I’m currently considering for 2017. Talking about the blog with you seemed like a good way to distract myself from these painful kicks from baby boy.
Before I dive into the many projects, ideas, and other goodies that I have been playing around with, I want to talk about 2016. For me, 2016 was a big year with lots of ups and downs. In fact, there was so many high and low points (many of which I haven’t shared – some things do remain personal), that I’ve decided to nickname 2016 as The Rollercoaster Year. I’ll be talking more about this rollercoaster and the emotions that came with it in future posts. I may not go into detail about the items that caused the emotions, but I will certainly share how I pulled myself through some high and low points.
So, how about those project, ideas, and goodies I mentioned before?
Goal Setting Workshop
This is a hands on event where you will walk away with goals and a plan for early 2017. The workshop will be held on a Facebook event page. I will be sharing tips on setting strong goals and intentions for the new year. I’ll also be sharing how you can create a plan to go with these goals to make sure you actually accomplish something. The workshop will be filled with hands on activities, printables, and Q&A threads. I might even pop on and do a Facebook Live if enough people show up! While I’ll be focusing on health and fitness goals the most, the tips will be applicable to all areas of life.
New Year, New You
This is a health and fitness related challenge. I’ll be sharing some of the programs and tips I’ve used in the past during this event. I’ll also be sharing how I can help you with your 2017 health goals. There are free trials, a printable tracker, and other free advice that will be included in this event. Even if you don’t think the programs are for you, at least stop by for the other goodies I’m giving away! You can RSVP for the information session right here on Facebook. Even if you can’t attend live, I still recommend that you click “going” so that you can return to the page and get all of the goodies later.
Hodge Podge Moments: The Community
This one isn’t new, but it is undergoing a revamp in 2017. In case you’re not familiar with it, I started an informal community on Facebook for followers of the blog. Up until now, it’s been a place to share things we find and discuss random topics. In the new year, I’m looking to make it a resource that will help women find happiness through nindset, organization, time management, self love, and connections. I have a few ideas on my brainstorm board for the group and I’m constantly thinking of other features for the group. I encourage you to go ahead and join in on the fun now so that you don’t miss out later!
Monthly Intentions
While I have loved this link up in 2016, it will be shifting off of the blog in 2017. Instead of hosting a monthly link up on the blog, I’ll be hosting goal setting sessions and accountability threads in Hodge Podge Moments: The Community. The sessions will be interactive and the threads will hopefully help people stay accountable. I want to expand the idea of setting monthly intentions beyond the blog to reach more people. I do hope you’ll join me in the community and still share your goals!
Bloggy Brunch
This is one item that won’t be leaving the blog. I thought long and hard about it before making a decision. I even took a break from the link up series in December to see if that would help me determine a path for it. Eventually, it was through talking to one of my cohosts (Nora of The Petite Mrs) that I decided to keep it – at least for Quarter 1 (Jan – Mar). That being said, you will still see the link up every Sunday but you may notice that it’s a bit simpler than it has been in the past. Part of my goal in 2017 is to move towards simpler, higher quality posts. I’ll be minimizing some of the bells and whistles both online and offline.
Moments that Matter
January will bring a new series to the blog. Every Monday, I’ll be shining the spotlight on strong, independent woman on the blog. These women will be sharing the stories of their defining moments that led them on their current life path. There’s some great women that have signed up and I can’t wait to share their stories with you. On another note, if you would like to share your story (you don’t have to be a blogger!), please see the graphic below and send me an email for the sign up page and more details. My goal with this series to share the stories of amazing women who can inspire others to do great things.
Guest Posts
In addition to the weekly spotlight series, you’re also going to be seeing a lot of guest posts in January, February, and March. I’m bringing in these guests for two reasons. One – Baby Boy is expected in February and I highly doubt the blog is going to be top priority during labor. Two – I feel that it’s always nice to introduce my readers to others who can help them on their journey towards a happy life. I am still accepting guest posts for quarter 1. If you’d like to pitch an idea, you can do so by emailing hodgepodgepam@gmail.com. Please use “Guest Post Pitch” as your subject line so that I know you’re responding to this post. (P.S. I’m also accepting guest posts on The Coastie Couple if you’re interested in writing two posts and reaching two different audiences!)
And because I’m behind on bump updates, here’s what happens when you’re 31 weeks pregnant and ask your husband to take a bump photo. I guess he finally wanted to be in one of the photos! He certainly knows how to make me smile.
Under Consideration
As I mentioned above, I’ve been playing around with a lot of ideas. I thought I’d list out a few of the other things that are currently on my “considerations” list.
Writing a book (okay – this one is actually in progress thanks to an awesome beta testing opportunity!)
- Creating an online course
- Selling printables
- Beta testing printables through The Community
- Happiness coaching
My mind is always spinning with new ideas and it’s actually quite a challenge to pick which ones to pursue and which to leave behind. I’ve been working extremely hard on gaining clarity and focus lately to allow me to succeed with some hefty goals in 2017. We’ll save those goals for another post though!
Before you go, I’d love if you described how your 2016 went in the comments below! Also, which of the projects above excites you the most?
