Well, I guess that’s a wrap on 2022. Another year has come and gone, leaving many of us in vastly different places than when it began. Now, here we are, standing on the edge of 2023, wondering what this bad boy has got in store for us. In order to figure that out, I think it’s really important to stop for a moment and take a look back at the year we just finished. Did we achieve everything we set out to do? What were our biggest wins and losses? How can we improve our standings moving forward? These are questions that need to be answered before you can even begin to lay out a plan and start setting life goals for 2023.
Look, I realize that I’m probably a little bit late to the party. People have already stated their intentions, goals, and dreams for the next year, but here at Backe on the Road, it’s never too late to look back in the spirit of fostering good habits, being honest with ourselves, and taking personal responsibility and initiative. The first bit of the post will be dedicated to exactly this.
But to be frank, the blog hasn’t had much of a year. We started in November and from there my own inconsistency bombed the entire operation. With that in mind, I think it’s a good idea to use the second half of this post to start thinking about goals for the upcoming year. Laying out your plans and holding yourself accountable to them is a fantastic way to make sure you’re taking concrete steps toward your dreams this year. So, join me! I highly, highly encourage you to take some time and chart a course for 2023. Make it a habit! This is the first time I’ve ever actively set out my goals and plans for an entire year, so I’ll be figuring it out right alongside you.
Looking Back at 2022 + Setting Goals for 2023
2022 Recap
The Blog
Alright, elephant in the room: I fell off the horse. Hard. I’m not sure what happened. I went through a transitional period in my personal life and shifted my passions to the back burner. Loads of excuses were made for why I couldn’t blog, but then when I had hours, even days at my disposal, I wound up pissing them all away, getting distracted by everything that’s trying so damn hard to keep us on the ground. In short, I fell into the trap. And I couldn’t be more disappointed in myself.
For 2 months, 2 entire months, I’ve been absent from the travel community, neglecting the opportunity to chase my dreams, to earn my freedom. And boy, was I beating myself up. I was in a bad place. I fell back into those old undesirable habits and started a vicious cycle of procrastination. Ugh. I had tried and failed. But you know what? That’s okay.
The entire situation forced me to realize that this is exactly why most people fail. When I first began this journey, maybe I thought that discipline and consistency would come naturally, that my sheer passion would carry me through. Nope. Turns out it’s REALLY hard to master the art of self-discipline, especially if you’re notoriously bad at it (me). Yeah, I dropped the ball, but that doesn’t mean I can’t pick it right back up. Failures are inevitable, especially when you’re trying something totally new. I was left with a decision: Quit on the dream and give up, or hit the ground running in 2023? Know that this is the year we can really make something special happen?
No brainer.
Life
On a personal level, 2022 had some incredible moments for me. Singing the National anthem at Van Andel was a highlight, as was taking an Ohio road trip to Akron and spontaneously visiting the Lake Michigan coast. But I think the most valuable experience was finally taking my first step toward the big goal: starting this blog. And it’s taught me the value of consistency, habits, and keeping track of progress. This is where real change comes from.
I, like many, had no direction this year. I was a kid with big dreams and no idea how to achieve them. Determined, I got serious about goalsetting and decided to take action. I resolved to get in better shape and learn how to create content. But shockingly, I struggled with consistency, which sent me down a bumpy road full of ups and downs. I knew I could be doing way better, especially in regard to fitness.
Overall, satisfied with the memories, but I know I can improve. So, let’s look to the future, shall we?
Setting Goals for 2023
Alright guys, here we go. Time to start being accountable. What do I want to accomplish this year? Let’s see…
Blog Consistently
This is the big one. The most important of my 2023 goals. If I can do nothing else but this for the rest of the year, I’ll be happy. I want to take real, concrete steps toward a future of travel, and being consistent on this website is, for now, one of the biggest parts of that. Hopefully I’ll be able to start turning a bit of a profit by this time next year, but to be honest, that’s the farthest thing from my mind right now.
I’d love to be able to post new content daily, and I swear, I’ll try my best. But barring that, my minimum goal is 3-4 times a week. I’d also like to make the site a little sexier, add a couple bells and whistles. I really think I’m capable, so I hope you’ll stick around for the ride.
Improve my Social Media Presence
Another important part of growing as a content creator is becoming visible on social media. Now, I’m not a huge fan of social media in my personal life (it can be REALLY addicting), but I do think that if it’s an evil, it’s a necessary one. At the moment, my follower count is pretty low, but I’m hoping to grow it in the coming months. After all, if you use it right, social media is a valuable tool. Let’s just hope I can figure it out.
My goal is to be active on Twitter and Instagram at least once a day, and on Facebook a couple times a week.
Be Better About Money
I’ll be perfectly honest; I do have a specific number in mind as far as savings go. And I’m absolutely confident that if I save hard enough, I can reach it. Finances are the second half of this entire equation. Sure, money isn’t everything, but it’s pretty damn important to get started traveling in earnest.
This one is going to be tough. It’s big. Resist temptation, remember the goal. I did a whole post about saving money a while back, if you’re interested. So, let’s keep our eyes on the prize, and we got this, baby.
Run my First Marathon
I’m an avid runner, and this has been on my mind for a while. The marathon, the ultimate test of endurance running. For me, running is all about pushing yourself to what you think is your limit, and then finding the inner strength to flip it the bird. How far can you go without quitting? How strong are you going to be? It’s tough, but the challenge is undeniably worth it, and I’m absolutely psyched for this one of my 2023 goals. As of this writing, I haven’t done an honest-to-God race in some time, so I’ll need to be in training mode for the next couple of months.
I don’t have a specific marathon in mind yet, but I’m eyeing a few taking place here in Michigan next fall. I’m nervous, but really excited to see how it goes. Stay tuned.
Improve my Photography
So, you wanna start a blog? Turns out it’s not as cut and dry as I thought it would be. A big part of attracting people to your page and improving that sweet, sweet SEO performance involves the visual aspect of your website: people (mainly yours truly) like looking at pretty pictures. And at some point, photos taken by a total amateur (again, yours truly) on an outdated iPhone aren’t going to cut it for an aspiring adventure blogger. Imagine that.
Photography is a skill I’ve wanted to work on for a while now, if only because I know it’ll come in handy down the road. This is the year I finally take action. I’d like to be able to buy a really nice digital camera (budget permitting) and take a couple of courses both online and in-person. Hoping to jump on this really soon.
Learn Online Business/Media Management
This is the one that’ll be indefinitely stretched out over the next couple of years. When it comes to tech, I’m kind of an idiot. Hell, it’s a miracle that this blog is even here to begin with. But working through the ins-and-outs of running what basically amounts to a startup business out of my laptop is a crucial component of this whole “lifetime of travel and adventure” thing.
Out of all of my 2023 goals, this one gives me the worst migraine. It gets COMPLICATED. But, hey, at least I know a collection of other folks have figured it out. So why can’t I? Better yet, why can’t YOU? Will it be slow-going? Probably, but if it’s going to change my life, I’m all in!
Looking Back at 2022 + Setting Goals for 2023 – Final Thoughts
Man, oh man, have I got my work cut out for me. This is already shaping up to be a game changer of a year, and I’m here for it. There wasn’t much to write home about in 2022, but I’ve got a feeling that’s going to change in 2023. And with the 6 Main Goals I’ve outlined above, I’ve got a clear idea of where I want to be and what I want to achieve by the end of this year. Hopefully, when I sit down to do this recap/goalsetting next year, this blog will be a whole different animal. So, let’s see what we can do. Once again, I highly recommend doing this for yourself, figure out what YOUR goals are this year. It puts you one step closer to making them a reality.
Quick note: I’d be wrong not to mention that the inspiration for this post came from Johnny’s annual Plans, Goals, and Resolutions write-up over at his incredible travel blog, onestep4ward.com. If you’re like me, and pure, raw, sustainable world travel is your bread and butter, then you’ll love his stuff. Prime example of an adventure blog done right and a massive inspiration to me.
Thanks for checking out the blog! If you like what you see, click here to choose what to read next. I’m hoping to go from making nothing with this “blogging” thing to traveling the world full-time, and I’m documenting my entire journey here. And I’m inviting YOU to join me! Yes, you, reading this article! Consider it, won’t you? I promise it’ll be worth your while!
