Second Half of 2023 Reflections + Goals

I won’t lie to you, when I sat down to reflect on my first half of the year goals, I felt pretty melancholy. 2023 has been a tough year on my mental health and I when I looked back on the first half of the year, I felt like I hadn’t really accomplished what I planned. And while I am disappointed, I decided to put this post on the backburner for a week and come back to it when I felt like I was in the mental space to reflect on it.

I’m really glad I gave myself that space. Even a year ago, I don’t think I would have given myself that time because for so much of my life, I’ve been driven by my productivity. It’s a work in progress, but I also attribute a lot of my self-worth to my productivity and the perception of success. I know this may be something a lot of people can relate to, especially the part that logically, I know I have so much value in my life regardless of what I do. But it feels like I can never turn off the part of my brain that looks at my life and work from the outside.

So, my big goal for the second half of the year is to take care of myself, mentally and physically. It’s tough, because when I have a good day, I’m like, yes of course Phoebe! Do these things! But when I have a rough day, things feel impossible. (Please don’t worry, I am being taken care of by Nick and mental health care professionals as well 💜 ) So, I want to make those impossible feeling days feel a little bit more possible.

1. Declutter & Tidy

   This has been on my list for most of the year but I get completely overwhelmed every time. So, I took a small step towards making it a bit more manageable! I started a Pango Books account to sell some of the books I’ve read but don’t want to keep on my shelves. Shopping second hand is great for the environment and the books aren’t doing me any good gathering dust.

   I’ve also been really slacking on my chores. Cleaning the kitchen is one of those things that feels so hard some days! But I always feel better when it’s done, so I need to get into a good chore schedule where it’s a non-negotiable to get things done.

2. Morning Routine/Night Routine

   Something I’ve said to a lot of my WFH friends this year is that “I miss when everyone was working from home” because it felt like we were all on the same schedule. *I am not trying to romanticize the pandemic or miss it! INow, I feel like my schedule has been totally and completely out of whack. So, I really want to lean into the discipline of my morning and night routines. For my brain, discipline is freedom, because it gives me the structure I crave.

3. Writing Routine

   When I’m struggling with my mental health, the first thing to go is my writing. I’ve been really absent in my journal because I’m afraid to what is going to come out. But, writing is what makes me my best self! Journaling has been a part of my life since I was nine years old. So, I am going to work on prioritizing it again.

4. Budget

   Probably the biggest thing I need to stick to. I’ve been buying things to make myself feel better and that is just not how life works. I don’t feel good when I’m spending money on things I don’t need anymore. I feel weighed down by unnecessary purchases that are just adding to absolute clutter it’s causing at home. See how all these things intersect?

5. Social Media Boundaries

   And finally, something I have already started to implement and it’s made things so much better, is clear social media boundaries. I’ve stopped scrolling before bed, I’m working on avoiding scrolling in the morning (at least for the first 30 minutes of the day) and making the algorithm work for me. I LOVE what I have created with Read & Wright and I have no plans on stepping away from it. But lately, I’ve been feeling more and more run down by seeing my peers have the kind of success I thought I’d have by now. I don’t say that to sound like a green eyed monster, but I do say it to be honest. There are days where I just don’t understand what I’m doing wrong and it’s not healthy. So, I want to cultivate the community I have (because you are all so amazing) and not covet the growth or partnerships of others. I started this for me and I want to keep it serving me.

   Alright! Those are my personal goals! Here are some bookish goals…

   1. Read The Edens Series by Melanie Harlow

      This has been on my list for quite some time so, it’s time!

   2. Reread Beach Read by Emily Henry

      This is for scientific reasons and something I’ve been meaning to do.

   3. Read more of my Physical TBR

      I have…so many books I want to read. And I’ve been into physical books again!

   4. Read 2 Kindle Unlimited Books per Month

      I LOVE KU and to make the price worth it, I need to read 2 books per month. My KU TBR always gets pushed aside and I feel like I’m missing out on some books I’ll really love.

   5. Share Mini Reviews More Often on IG + TikTok

      I share my full reviews here and on Goodreads, but I want to be better about sharing the mini reviews on my Insta stories and short videos on TIkTok. I LOVE to talk about books and I definitely let the toxic nature of the internet and fear stop me.

      When this year started, I felt like my head was clear and I was ready to make it a year to remember. I think it will be a year I remember for different reasons now, but I can still do what I set out to do. Thanks for taking the time to read this and I hope it resonates with some of you.