Authenticity reader. Book reviewer. Content writer.
Where do I even begin?
Read 40 books.
I’ve been able to for the past two years. Hopefully, 2019 isn’t an exception. On a similar note, I’ll try to post as many reviews as possible.
Write, edit, submit.
In a perfect world, I’d publish something somewhere. It’s out of my control though. Writing every day, editing my stories, submitting to contests…very much within my control.
Post content I’m proud of.
When I publish what I love, it makes me happy. I don’t want to be as hard on myself in 2019, yet my expectations are still high for this blog. More than anything, I can’t wait to create.
Learn more Spanish.
Fun fact, my name is Spanish. My dad speaks the language. I’ve been using Duolingo and doing two lessons every day.
Dance, exercise, stretch.
To be specific, I’d like to learn new moves, improve my core strength, and increase my flexibility.
Be nicer…to myself.
I’m my own worst critic. I guess I should also make an effort to be nicer to others as well.
What are your goals for 2019?
I don’t even know where to begin. 2018 has been a year of high highs and low lows for me. But I’m happy to say I survived. I’ll see you all on the other side.
Here’s my 2018 in review.
January was great. I had a lot of motivation and inspiration. I started 2018 on a strong note. I began my second semester of third year. It feels so long ago now. I finished three books and reorganized my shelves. I submitted poems but never heard back.
February sucked. I was hit by a car. I spent the month resting and recovering. I read four novels. Fortunately, I felt good enough to attend my friend’s birthday party later in the month. It helped me get back on my feet.
March wasn’t easy, but I managed. I fell in love with baking. One day, I decided to download Duolingo and improve my Mandarin. I got through three books.
April was busy. I had finals. I found time to grab lunch with a friend I don’t see often afterwards. I started working as a digital marketing intern. I read three novels.
May went well. I worked all month. I hung out with some friends. I finished four books.
June wasn’t bad. I kept working. I changed the theme for my blog. I attended another birthday party. I finished three novels.
July felt short. I still worked. My cousin from China came over, so I spent more time with family. I read three books.
August felt even shorter. I attended an event for book bloggers. I finished three novels. I started driving again.
September signalled the arrival of school. My first semester of fourth year to be exact. I learned that my poem would be published in an anthology. I couldn’t believe it. Later I signed an author release form and approved the proof for print. I read four novels, rearranged my shelves. I continued to drive.
October was good. I won an academic scholarship. I had my midterms. I spent time with more relatives from China. I finished three books.
November stressed me out. Life. NaNoWriMo. School. I only managed to get through two novels. To be fair, one of them was fairly long. I drove.
December had its ups and downs. I finished classes and exams. I finally took my road test and got my G2 driver’s license. I finished 4 books too.
Thank you all for an amazing year. All the best in 2019!
In 2018, I wanted to branch out and broaden my reading horizons. I also wanted to publish more book reviews on this blog.
As of now, I’ve read 42 books. I somehow managed to review most of them as well.
I read and review because I love stories. If I care about the characters, then I probably care about the story as well.
I’m excited. I can’t wait to see what 2019 has in store for me. I already have several books shouting at me on my bookshelf.
I’m so beyond grateful. I can’t thank you all enough for reading this blog, especially my book reviews.
In 2019, I hope to read even more and broaden my horizons further. I’ll continue to write reviews and blog about books.
Some things I want to do before I die.
Publish a book.
For as long as I can remember, I dreamed of becoming an author. I’m nowhere near publication right now, but check back with me in several years, okay?
Interview a celebrity.
I’ve been thinking about interviews lately for some reason. Also, I use the word “celebrity” loosely. Anyone successful. Author, athlete, actor, etc. Anyone cooler than me essentially.
Run a marathon.
As a kid, my endurance wasn’t that bad. During track events, I chose the longer distances. Then again, I remember going to a track meet at another school and not wanting to do the race. I didn’t come in last at least. In my high school fitness class, we had to run 5K at the end of the semester. I survived. Somehow.
Host a party.
Social anxiety means people and parties aren’t my thing. I didn’t go to formals. I didn’t go to prom. So for me, hosting a party will be quite a challenge.
Start a book club.
First, I need to find strangers who like to read. Then I have to get them to be my friend. That’s not an easy task because I seem to scare normal humans away. Let’s not get into my pettiness or the fact I burn bridges like people burn matches. Maybe I’m better off starting a virtual book club.
Knit a scarf.
If you’re willing to teach me how to sew, I’m willing to learn. I can teach you how not to sing in return. Sounds like a fair trade if you ask me.
I haven’t always been easy on myself.
Right now more than anything, I want to live more, live better. I don’t want to be too hard on myself like I have been in the past. It’s not helpful.
I’m an all or nothing type of person though. Because of my goals, I have to make sacrifices. I don’t mind giving certain things up, but I can’t do everything. That doesn’t stop me from trying though.
Hopefully, as I grow older, I get better at not expecting too much of myself every single day. I’m all for pushing my limits, but at some point, I just can’t push any further.
This year, during my recovery, I really had to listen to my body. To be honest, I think I’ve strayed away from that. So going forward, I will strive to be nicer to myself.
Somehow, I’ve has the discipline to keep up with many of my daily habits. Still, it’s not the end of the world if I miss a day.
I’ve been so hard on myself. I feel like a failure if I don’t read, write, blog, etc. I should probably refrain from that way of thinking. Instead of telling myself I have to do X, Y, Z every day for the rest of my life, I should tell myself to do the best I can.
I don’t enjoy spreading myself too thin. I’d rather do a few things well instead of doing a lot of stuff poorly.
At the end of the day, I need to give myself more credit. I’m doing just fine.
Sometimes, I wish I could do everything, but that’s not possible. I only have 24 hours.
I used to be so stubborn about sticking to several daily habits.
Every now and then, some things have to give. I can’t do it all or do everything well. I’ve become more accepting of that fact nowadays.
I want to do many things and do them for a certain length of time or until I reach a specific goal. For example, I try to dance for one hour and read about 50 pages every day.
Nevertheless, I try not to let my current habits stop me from pursuing other opportunities.
I’m content with what I’ve done, yet I’ll continue to do more.
Life is a journey. My growth is ongoing, not a one-time event. So rather than beating myself up over a habit I didn’t do, I will appreciate all the things I did.
I journal before bed, and I’ve been tracking what I accomplish. That way, I can look back on a record of how I spend my time. Which is eye-opening to say the least.
I feel like human beings aren’t always the best at time management for a number of reasons. Tracking what I do and how long it takes me to complete a task has paid dividends. I now have a better understanding of when I should start an activity and when I can finish it.
Of course, I’m not perfect. Some days are good, others are bad. But knowing how I work allows me to plan ahead and account for worst-case scenarios.
Because sometimes we all need to be inspired before writing.
Exercise.
Dance. Play baseball. Shoot some hoops. Whatever you like. Move your body, and maybe your mind will too.
Write.
Sometimes the best thing you can do is write, even when you’re slumping. If nothing else, start another project. Try to write when you aren’t inspired or motivated. Who knows what might happen.
Read.
If you don’t feel like reading, watch a movie or TV show. Perhaps other stories will inspire you to tell your own.
Game.
Play. Have fun. Video games are great. You have a new world to discover. You get to see a storyline unfold. You can study dialogue between different characters.
Blog.
Bloggers are some of the most inspiring people you’ll ever meet. Enough said.
Rest.
At times, you just need a break. That’s okay. Eat. Sleep. Take care of your body. Return to your story when you’re ready.
Explore.
Go outside. Take a walk. Travel somewhere you’ve never been before. That could get the creative juices flowing again.
Happy writing!
Herminia Chow 