Reading Resolutions 2023: Part 2 - Becky's 2023 Goals

Yesterday I began the process of posting my 2023 reading resolutions by first looking back and assessing how I did on my 2022 resolutions. You can read that post here.

Today, using what I learned by assessing how last year went, and knowing what things I have planned for the coming year, I present my 2023 Resolutions-- the ones I will hold myself to for assessment a year from now. I use the term "reading resolutions" to keep the posts as similar as possible from year to year, but really this process is more akin to goal setting. However, since my work is defined by my mission, "training library workers to help leisure readers," reading is at the center of it all.

Please remember, I post both my assessment of the year that was and the upcoming year on back-to-back days so that I am forced to hold myself to it alll [or not as the case may be] but also because I am a big proponent of the "lead by example" leadership style. If I am advocating for you to make resolutions and then go back and assess how you did before making the next year's resolutions, I also have to do it myself.

These are my resolutions and goals for 2023. I create these for myself specifically; however, I hope you can use them to help you craft resolutions that will work best for you.

Finally, I want to make a plea to do resolutions or goals for yourself no matter how you are feeling. They do not have to be lofty. I love this post from Book Riot last year, with easily achievable reading resolutions. These are no stress, and may seem silly on first glance, but I think they are great. Having something as a goal gives you direction and encouragement to keep moving forward. Small victories add up to larger advancements. 

Okay now on to my 4 official resolutions for 2022:

2023 Resolution: Shift My Reading Life Focus From Transaction to Conversational. As I mentioned yesterday, last year I transitioned from giving myself an area to read more in and moved toward a goal of recording what I read more effienctly, but even that seems not worth while anymore. Just like I have transitioned my training programs away from RA as transactional based to RA as conversation based, I am going to transition from worrying about my record keeping of what I read and focus on having conversations about those titles. Of course I will still record if I read it and at least my "three words" but I had so much fun talking about books each month of 2022 with the Carnegie Medal Committee that I want to keep that as a part of my life. Just yesterday I was chatting with a colleague about this and I think we have an idea on how that can happen. Looking back over the last few years has allowed me to see that this goal is a natural progression base on everything I have been doing in all facets of my work life. 

2023 Resolution: Explore More Ways To Share My Knowledge. I am getting bored doing the same thing over and over again, even though I know it is needed, even though I make changes every time, I am still bored. While a majority of my income still comes from presenting on RA basics, I have increased the portion of income that I receive from writing every single year. I enjoy the writing and have already officially added one new paid outlet and am in discussions to add another, but that is all Horror based. Last year I focused on getting more partnerships and as I reported yesterday that worked well. It did help with some of the burn out from doing the same thing over and over, but this is the next step. I need to think about HOW I present. Some positive changes I have already started include, multi-month contracts with library systems where there are activities for the staff to complete in between my appearances, the Learn With NoveList Live Events with Robin, more Trustee specific training, and presenting to non-library audiences. That last one I am doing in my own community in February, and I am very excited about it (more soon). I am going to continue thing outside the box about how I can share my knowledge, but without abandoning those who need me.

2023 Resolution: Use My Place As A Library Leader To Effect Change In IL Libraries. In 2023 I joined the Illinois Library Association Executive Board. Over the years I have volunteered for ILA many times, but in 2022, I took the leap to be on the Board. This position has made me realize that focusing on improving libraries and library service in IL is where my passion is, it is where I want to give my energies, and it is where I will serve with my highest level of effort. Obviously there will be issues and concerns that I cannot foresee now, but my three main focuses for effecting change in IL libraries over the next year are: 

1. Help institute a statewide Library Trustee training program: I have been appointed to a statewide advisory committee with this exact purpose and we have already met once. There is a grant, so the funding is there and it will happen over the next 2 years.
2. Work with RAILS and use my influence with ILA to get every library in the state of IL to join Find More Illinois: a statewide catalog overlay that will make resource sharing easy, save tax payers thousands of dollars, and allow access to information to be equitable no matter where in the state someone lives. Obviously I know this one will take more than a year, but I am shooting for the stars.
3. Create statewide library databases that are accessible to every resident of IL for free, whether or not they are served by a public library or their library subscribes. I worked on this throughout 2021 and 2022 and have already made great strides. It began as a RAILS only initiative, but now it is being taken up by ILA as one of our official legislative issues for 2023 (again, with me on both boards I made this a priority-- using my influence to effect change). ILA has a great track record getting things passes. Fingers crossed.

2023 Resolution: Be Open Minded in the Face of Huge Life Changes. This one is both personal and professional. I need to be cognizant that 2023 is a year for huge change in my life. I have two children. I have always worked while raising them, but as the wife of a doctor, I have also been the main caregiver, the one who knew their schedules, the one who made sure they got where they needed to be (whether or not I was the one driving them), etc.... This fall my second child will be headed off to college. Both of my kids are not close to home, and no surprise, I have raised very independent children, so they don't need much attention once they leave. I have done my current job-- working for myself-- since 2015 full time. It has been great to be more flexible as the kids got older, but who knows what challenges I may want to pursue when I don't have to worry about being a mom every day. I have plenty of work and appearances scheduled though October of 2023, but I also have been approached recently with multiple new and exciting opportunities that would still be in libraries but would be totally different than what I am doing now. Working for myself is rewarding, but it can be exhausting. On the other hand, I may still want the flexibility of working for myself and setting my own schedule. It is nice to not have to ask anyone but yourself for time off. As you can see, there is a lot up in the air. But here is the point for all of you, I know this because I have taken the time to think about my goals for the year. I am setting a goal to be flexible and open minded this year. I do not want to close myself to new opportunities completely because for the first time in a while, I have more options available. However, I also have to remember that just because I have more flexibility and time, that doesn't mean I have to do more.

So there we have it. My official 2023 Resolutions and Goals. I hope you take some time to both assess your 2022 and set some resolutions for yourself.