Making resolutions are simply one way of trying to challenge yourself to be better each day. And the resolutions we make each New Year’s Day are in reality those we make or remind ourselves of everyday. This day simply helps us be more conscious of those goals, and to make ourselves accountable.
With that in mind, I also find myself participating in challenges each year. This year, I hope to actually link in more regularly; unlike last year when I know I completed the challenges with all the books I read but failed to link up. And plan to work on the audit challenges for my blog improvement goal.
“Be your biggest competitor – challenge yourself each day to be better than you were yesterday.” – Kaoru Shinmon.
2021 Challenges: Challenge Yourself
Reading Challenges
While I know I easily read many, many books each year, it is meeting the prompt (or the letter, in the first challenge above) that stumps me often. What I like in all these reading challenges is the flexibility offered within the constraints (like that poetic form I discussed last week!).
Of course, I plan to have overlaps all over the place between these challenges; and this year, I want to organize and track my reading better than I have done in the past.
As for the specific books themselves, I will add a few to start with this coming week with the ones I already have on my TBR, and add as I go on.
2021 AtoZ Reading Challenge
This challenge is hosted by Crystal and Megan over at Bookstacks & Golden Moms. I joined this last year as well; and while I am sure I completed it with all the books I read, I never did check or link back 🙁 This year, I resolve to do so.
2021 Netgalley and Edelweiss Reading Challenge
I need to up my NG and Edelweiss ratio.. seriously… so this challenge will help (hopefully, at least a bit). While I know I need to work towards the Diamond level of 100 books, I will start with the Gold Level of 50 books here.
52 Books in 52 Weeks
Like the others, an obvious challenge (obvious in both the type of challenge, and that it is, in fact, challenging!) This one is hosted by the 52 Book Club.
[Addendum: January 11th, 2021]: Since I cannot obviously resist the lure of more challenges, and am a glutton for punishment, here is one more reading challenge.
2021 Nonfiction Reader Challenge
Thanks to Deb Nance for pointing me to this one. The aim of the Nonfiction Reader Challenge is to encourage you to make nonfiction part of your reading experience during the year. And since that is definitely one of my goals this year, with intent this time around, I had to join in! The challenge is hosted by Shelley from Book’d Out, and you can signup here.
While I am guessing I will read many nonfiction books, I decided to stick with the Nonfiction Nibbler level: Read 6 books, from any category (a list, draft version, for all the challenges, to be shared soon). If I do end up reading books in all categories, then that is cool too and I can move up a level.
10 Books in 30 Days
Yes, I know! I must be crazy, but this is also kind of shooting for the moon so we can still land among the stars! Frankly this never made sense to me as the stars are so much further off, but I get it…. So this is another additional challenge. You can check out the details here.
Note that this one starts on the 13th of January (aka tomorrow), and I still have to line up the books for this one (I have a couple in mind to get started).
Other Challenges
2021 Blog Audit Challenge
Thanks Jo for giving me an opportunity to do this. I worked on this or the first couple of months last year, and then it got lost in everything else. This year, I am more committed.
2021 Social Media Audit Challenge
and why not social media auditing too?!
ShutUp&Write Writing Challenge
Do I need to add one more challenge? I am not sure but with this one, my plan is to write using the prompts as often as I can.
[Addendum: January 11th, 2021]: Since I cannot obviously resist the lure of more challenges, and am a glutton for punishment, here is one more challenge.
Comment 4 Comment Challenge
The goal of C4CC is ‘leave no comment un-replied and un-returned’. Reply to all comments on your blog, and visit the commenter’s blog to comment there as well. This is hosted by Gayatri over at ElgeeWrites and you can sign up here.
And Now, the End of this Post
Dear reader, are you participating in any such challenges this year? Any of these specifically? Or any other challenges you have planned for yourself? Do let me know..
Sounds like you will be busy! I call my resolutions ‘challenges’ because it seems I can complete what ever it is easier. I’m excited about my first challenge, the 5 day destress this mess, where participates pick a room to declutter. My hope is that once I get one room down I will be ready to tackle the other rooms.
that is one i need to do – starting with my closet – even smaller than a room 🙂
Thank you for joining the Netgalley/Edelweiss challenge. I hope you have a great year with all of your challenges!
thank you Yvonne.. I hope I actually make a dent
I start off strong and midway seemed to get overwhelmed or distracted and forget to link up to the challenges… I am such a lazy blogger. I own my flaws 😉 I should join the NetGalley one – my ratio is abysmal!
LOL! Me too… While I know I might actually have read enough to complete those challenges, linking up is where I slack…. And I cannot own up to my NG ratio – it is abysmally low as well….
I’m so happy you’ll be joining in both the Blog Audit Challenge and the Social Media Audit Challenge this year. I’m doing the A to Z Reading Challenge again this year too and, like you, need to do better at linking up. I should probably do the NetGalley one too…
🙂 I really, really cross-my-fingers hope to work more diligently on all my challenges this year 🙂
I’m doing A to Z and Comment for Comment ☺️
Oh yes, i saw G’s post and maybe I need to do the Comment for Comment as well..good luck to both of us on our challenges Kate!
I absolutely love the end of the year/beginning of the year for this very reason. At the end, it’s a flurry of excitement choosing the challenges you want to participate in (thanks for adding ours, by the way!) and then, once January 1 comes, there’s this insane motivation to get started 🙂 Great post and best of luck on your 2021 challenges!
🙂 my insane motivation and the lure of challenges is what makes me sign up every year regardless of what I end up with each time 🙂 hope persists
I love the idea of the Blog Audit Challenge! I put a reminder on my calendar to do a blog audit every 6 months, but I’m not as diligent about it as I should be. Good luck on all of your challenges!
that is cool… i need to be diligent, way more than i am currently and hoping this will help