winter update + spring goals (+ an announcement)

Hello, everybody, and welcome back to Quote, Unquote!

The weather where I live is once again unpredictable and slightly infuriating. It was beautiful, sunny, warm weather last week, and on the day I write this it is snowing.

Ah well, such is living in Michigan. If you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes and it’ll change. I am glad for the chances of sunny skies, at least, because it means that we are slowly moving away from the gray days of winter and into the hope and promise of spring.

The winter was pretty uneventful, but here are some highlights:

• beginning work on a new novel inspired by my family and heritage
• reconnecting with some old friends
• a vacation with my sister by the ocean and meeting up with an online friend while there
• attending a five-day class to learn about the government in my state’s Capitol
• accompanying my sister in solo and ensemble
• voting for the first time

And with that quick little recap, let’s go over the goals I set for myself way back in December.

goals from winter

prioritize rest

I would give myself two stars on this one. While I’m learning that I need to step back and limit what I can do so I can give 100% to everything, I’m not doing a great job of putting that into practice.

Once again, I’ve overcommitted myself, and I’m finding it difficult to truly step back and take time for myself. Guilt plays a large role in this, along with several surprise life events and the general busyness of this time of year (especially as a church musician during Easter season). One of those things I can control, the others I cannot.

I am still learning and growing, and while I’ve done my best to find pockets of rest, this is looking like a season where God is teaching me to rely on Him to get through everything. Life is busy right now, but I trust that it’s for a reason and I will learn something through it.

lessen dependence on screens

I’ve actually done pretty well on this one! During the month of January, I reread Cal Newport’s Digital Minimalism and tried a month-long digital declutter, removing unnecessary technologies from my life for thirty days and spending time disconnected, exploring other passions and spending time in my own head. I also committed to spending the entire year off of Instagram, which (I hope) will kick my social media use to the curb for good.

Admittedly, I haven’t been the best at always sticking to the principles I outlined for myself, but my screen usage has gone down drastically. I’ve picked up new healthy hobbies like working out and devouring books in 24 hours like I used to when I was little. I’ve already read 27 books this year. It’s amazing the time you can take back when you’re not constantly scrolling.

If you feel like you’re getting stuck in the endless scrolling and screen usage, I highly recommend Cal Newport’s Digital Minimalism. It’s a compelling and effective argument for disconnecting in the digital age–which is not nearly as scary as it sounds.

finish the Iliad

Check! I finished reading Homer’s Iliad and wrote an essay about kleos, the Greek concept of lasting renown and glory through accomplishing great deeds. I began reading the Odyssey, but I haven’t quite finished it yet.

goals for spring

Before I outline some of my goals for the upcoming season, I have a pretty big announcement to make.

For the first time in my three-year blogging career, I am taking a blogging hiatus.

There has been a lot of thought and prayer that has gone into this decision. I’ve run Quote, Unquote extremely consistently since October of 2020, posting something every single Wednesday, even when I didn’t feel like it. This was, to my younger self, a test of my discipline and commitment.

Recently, I have been viewing writing blog posts as something that I have to do to keep my streak alive. I have let my three-year streak become almost an idol, posting consistently for the sake of being able to say that I’ve done it rather than actually serving others by sharing knowledge and encouragement. The focus has shifted, and writing blog posts has begun to feel like something I have to do or should do rather than something I want to do.

I don’t like that my heart attitude towards blogging has gone in this direction, and as life begins to get hectic, I have decided to take a few months off of blogging to reorient myself and rest a little bit. This post will be my last until my spring update in June. After that, I will return and inform you, my lovely readers, what my plans are regarding Quote, Unquote.

While I’m gone on my hiatus, here are some things I would like to accomplish:

graduate!

That’s right! I’m graduating high school in June, and I have lots of feelings regarding finally finishing my high school career. What those feelings are, I could not tell you, but they’re there. I want to take some time to sort through them and celebrate moving out of this really long season in my life as I figure out how to transition into the next one.

write my next novel

I am so close to being able to draft my second Author Conservatory novel, and I’m so excited about it. I haven’t shared much–if anything at all–about it on this blog, but that may change once it’s been written.

chip away at my tbr

I have talked about this a bit, but my current TBR pile is huge by my standards. I’d like to work on it and actually sit down and read some books when I have a little extra time. Hopefully, I’ll get that TBR down to a manageable number–well, I’m shooting for zero, but I’m not sure how feasible that is.

rest and recharge

Above all, I want to step back, take a second, and look at my blog with fresh eyes. I want to remember what my original vision was and decide where I’m going to go with this at this stage in my writing journey. I’m not sure yet what the fate of Quote, Unquote will be, so that’s one of the main things I want to think about during my hiatus.

I want to rest in other areas, too, so I think that not having to worry about blog posts is just another step towards taking things off my plate, at least for a little bit. With the Author Conservatory, senior year, and all my extracurriculars and activities, I’m finding it necessary to prune my tree a little bit, so to speak.

final thoughts

The decision to take a hiatus was not one that I made lightly. Know that I always aim to serve you, my readers, with information and recommendations you can actually use. My goal is never to do this for my gain, but to give of my time and talents for you. Right now, stepping back to help myself is the best way to help you.

I thank you for your readership, whether you’re a longtime fan or you just started reading my blog. Your support truly means the world to me–in fact, I literally could not do this without you. This isn’t goodbye, just a “see you later.”

I’d love to know your plans and goals for the upcoming spring season! What are you most excited about? I for one cannot wait to be done with snow.

Thank you so much for reading, and I’ll see you, well, in June!