Hello, friends! And happy new year! It honestly feels like I’ve had a little vacation from actually writing on my blog versus just creating new videos, but it’s great to be back. Today, I’m taking you through an honest review of my 2018.
WATCH: Honest Year in Review 2018
I’ll wrap this post into my usual monthly ‘Candidly Kristen’ for December as well, especially since I posted so many updates during Vlogmas.
First, a few quick stats of some Kristen Shane blog growth across my channels:
- In 2018 I published 97 blog posts!
- And 67 videos (in about 5 months, since re-launching my YouTube channel)
- I about doubled my goal of 1750 Instagram followers, & have met many great new people through the platform
- I grew about 250 subscribers in the last few months, since I had a few subscribers left over from when I was previously on YouTube
- I started & grew my email list, which you can join at the end of each blog post, or via the pink box in my sidebar
As you may have seen, I also tracked some major goals through my 2018 Goals list & my 2018 Reading list. A few highlights:
- I read 59 books total (& more if you count all my LSAT study books…)! And let’s see if I can beat that in 2019 🙂
- See my favorite books from this year here!
- Celebrated 2 lovely years of my blog!
- Graduated college with honors (watch the video), applied to law school (& received an early, unexpected acceptance), & accepted a full time job starting next week
- Celebrated my 21st birthday (watch the video)!
- I traveled more in 2018 than before, & cruised to Europe with my family
On the topic of goals, there were also some goals & priorities I didn’t honor as well in 2018. You can check out the full list (ones not bolded or italicized weren’t completed) for specifics. I talk about this in the year in review video also, but it doesn’t bother me to see the goals I didn’t cross off.
I intended for my 2018 Goals to be goals, not requirements. I made intentional choices and priorities throughout the year and improved myself tremendously. I haven’t made a new list yet for 2019, but many of the goals, like reading and prayer, will continue throughout this year.
I added some things to my calendar this year I wasn’t planning on, like starting up my YouTube channel again, closing my Etsy store, & getting a job. Reflecting on the last year is a great way to see how much can truly change and grow throughout a year, and I’m truly glad 2018 has come and gone.
I talked about this more specifically on my Instagram stories yesterday, and I tried to incorporate it into today’s video. I don’t want to take this reflection as a highlight reel of every good thing that happened in 2018. It wasn’t all pretty, and I don’t want it to look that way, because I’d be lying to you. It would not be an even close to accurate picture of my year.
I went through some of my hardest times mentally & emotionally in 2018, and the first half of my year definitely didn’t match the second half from what you’ve seen of me lately.
I was very, very hard on myself this year, to my own detriment. I won’t recount all the details because I’ve moved on and grown a lot since then, and a lot of it is honestly difficult for me to reflect on and recount.
What matters is: I’m a better person now. A more positive person, who chooses to celebrate life over counting my flaws.
I don’t know what 2019 will bring for me, and I’m even unsure of how my blog content will change since I’ve graduated college.
But I know it’s going to be awesome, if I let it. And I know God’s always got a plan for me. I hope you’ll choose to stick around & see where this year takes me. I’m so thankful for the people I’m starting the year with. And I’m thankful for my lovely subscribers & followers who have watched & read along this year, too.
I wish you the absolute best this year & I hope you’re having a lovely New Year’s Day!
