The Year Of Caryn: 2012 Goals

I realize I’m a little late on the goals-for-the-new-year bandwagon.  Had I written this list on January 1st my list would be entirely different.  A lot has happened since and I finally got around to thinking about the year ahead. I have deemed 2012 - The Year Of Caryn and I have a whole new set of goals that I hope to accomplish this year.

Goals For The Year Of Caryn:

1. Focus on me. Discover who Caryn is as an individual. Do some soul-searching – figure out what makes me happy and what makes me tick.
2. Put my needs first. Don’t do something just to please others. If it is something that I don’t want to do or that doesn’t make me happy, DON’T do it.  (This is liberating!) Also note: It’s okay to be selfish sometimes.
3. Make time to do the things that I’ve always wanted to do but made excuses for, never thought I would have time to do or never thought the time was right.
4. Follow my dreams.
5. Get in shape  - this includes running more, attending yoga and core fusion more often and completing a month of Jillian’s 30 day shred.
6. Find space between digital world and real world.  Disconnect from constantly being connected. Turn off  the cell phone and computer once in a while.
7. Take a photography class & learn to use a DSLR camera.
8. Buy that DSLR camera.
9. Be more proactive about reaching out to those I love.  So many wonderful people have come into my life recently, don’t take them for granted.
10. Surround myself with those who make me happy. If someone doesn’t make me feel happy/smart/cool/pretty/nice/thin/safe to be my true self/smart enough – then take a step back and re-evaluate the friendship. I want to surround myself with people who make me feel happy and alive and appreciate me.

Blog Goals:

1. Stay on top of my ideas for blog content and post in a timely fashion. I have 63 drafts just waiting to be finished and published.
2. Personal posts are okay but add more inspiring content too. The intent of the blog is not to be a diary.
3. Don’t feel pressured to post if it has been a while.  It is my blog and I should only post when I have content I want to share.
4. Create a new blog name. Please feel free to submit suggestions. Seriously.
5. Buy my own domain with said new blog name.
6. Hold more contests, interviews, giveaways etc. Be a more active blogger but still adhere to Goal 3.
7. Embrace all that blogging has brought into my world and continue to grow with it.
8. Learn CSS and improve technical skills

What are your goals for 2012? 

Top 10 reasons you should sign up for #BiSC

10  Reasons I Can’t Wait For #BISC/ You Should Sign Up To Be On The Waitlist*:  

*It sold out within a week this year, but you should still put yourself on the waitlist!

1. Bloggers In Sin City is an experience of a lifetime.   Seriously, no joke. You spend 4 days in Vegas with 60 of the best people on earth who you probably have a lot in common with, ya know, since we’re all bloggers and all.

2.Contrary to what is said about Vegas, “What happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas” that isn’t true with this group.  Not only does most everything get posted online after, the friendships I made from just one weekend last year have continued well beyond that weekend. Some of the people I met have turned out to be a few of my favorite and closest friends!

3. You could win a free trip to Vegas! No, for real. See point 4…

4. We have awesome sponsors like Caesars Entertainment, Flamingo Hotel, Skyy Vodka, Sprayology, Paper’d and I’m sure there will be more soon. Paper’d is the next IT iPhone/iPod app, I promise you.  It is due to be released next month. It is the brain child of the people behind Shatterboxx, another sponsor, which automatically makes it a worthwhile product, sight unseen. Talk about talented web designers. *BONUS* Thanks to Paper’d, one lucky blogger will be going to Bloggers in Sin City FOR FREE (see I told you!)

5. The event generated 4500+ tweets and 100+ blog posts in 2011.

6. This weekend last year changed me and changed my life: Literally. Without BiSC, 2011 would have played out completely different. It forced me out of my comfort zone, taught me so much about myself and about life, and I met so many supportive & loving people.  Without them, I would not have been able to make it through a recent difficult patch in my life.  Honestly, they are the most supportive group of people I have ever met and my life is better today because of everyone I met at BiSC. Sappy & cheesy – but true.

7. It’s practically all-inclusive: we stay at the Flamingo Hotel in the awesome Go Rooms, we get an awesome swag bag, we enjoy a private dessert-tasting at Serendipity3 (yum, even though its death for me…), we have our own reserved area at the Flamingo Pool, we will party like rock stars at Chateau during our Mad Men Themed Lounge Party at Paris Hotel, we have tickets for Zumanity, we and feast on 2 group buffet dinners and a farewell brunch.  Not to mention you meet 60 new best friends. All this is included in your registration fee, that’s pretty all-inclusive if you ask me!

8.  I look forward to this weekend all year round.

9. I now have friends all over the country!

10.  We call ourselves BiSC-uits because we bonded THAT much last year. BiSC-uits For Life, yo!

So if you aren’t already signed up, what are you waiting for? Go on, put yourself on that waitlist! Oh, and make sure you’re following @sincitymeetup on Twitter and the official #BiSC hashtag.

See you in Vegas!

Protected: Saying Goodbye

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Happy 1st Birthday Blog!

Dear Blog,

Happy Birthday! Today you are a year old.  I seriously cannot get over how fast this year flew by.

Last January, I decided a change was needed in my life and you were born. I felt something was missing and that I needed to do something for myself .   I felt inspired to write again.  I had no idea just how much you would change my life and how you would fill that void.  It started with Blogger, then I joined Twitter and then you became a big girl and we moved to WordPress.  After much rebellion, I joined Twitter because I was told it was a great tool for bloggers spread the word and to communicate.  It was then through Twitter that I heard about and signed up for Bloggers in Sin City only a few weeks into our relationship .  There I met 50+ wonderful and spirited new blogger friends, many of whom share a lot of similar interests and who continue to inspire and support me. I learned to push myself out of my comfort zone and had the weekend of my life. Because of that unforgettable weekend in Vegas, I chose to attend the 20SB Summit in August and saw these girls over Labor Day weekend.  I also attended a Chicago Blogger/Twitter meetup and met some more awesome internet pals.  Without you I never would have visited Richmond, VA or Philly. Together, we documented milestones and events throughout the year.

You, my blog, have brought people into my life that have shown me what it is like to have friends who make me feel good about myself, who love me, support me, and are even willing to fly across the country to cheer me up. You have given me comfort and sanity and introduced me to so many new experiences. You provided me with an outlet to express myself and ability to find my voice.  I have friends all over the country now.  I had no idea when I started all this that it would be more than just another URL on the internet, that people would actually read what I have to say, and that some of my best friends in the world would be fellow bloggers.

Even for all that you have given me, there were still times I neglected you and didn’t write as often as I wanted to or didn’t have time to follow through on post ideas.  I’m sorry, I’ll be better this year.  Thank you for everything and everyone that you have brought into my life. This year has been extremely special and memorable, because of you.  Happy Birthday!

Love, Caryn

If all of this happened in just one year, I can’t wait to see what happens in round 2! Happy birthday blog, cheers to another year.

 

Here is a Blog Baby Book of some (not all) of the posts and experiences from our first year together!