If you’re like me, the change to a new year is always a little hard. OK, let’s be honest, it’s really hard — I’m talking teeth-grinding, hair-pulling, anxiety-inducing hard. The kind of hard where, if I actually did stay up until midnight, I could surely be found drowning my sorrows in one too many glasses of root beer and

But why are these transitions so hard? Because, whether we like it or not, they force us to take our masks off and look at ourselves in the mirror. Face-to-face and up close. Anxious yet? See what I mean?

Anyway, these mirror meet-ups also challenge us to think about all the things we want to accomplish during the coming year. It can be daunting, trust me, but I figure you have to go into it like you were suiting up for a big boxing match. Warm-ups. Boxing gloves on. Game face on. It’s all part of the dance. And after celebrating So About What I Said’s fifth anniversary last November, blogging goals have definitely been on my mind. With the 357 days left of 2014, here are the top four things I’d like to accomplish…

Stop comparing myself to other bloggers/writers
I’ve seen so many discussions about this in the blogosphere, so it’s nice to know I’m not alone in my “Do I measure up?” insecurities. We all tend to get down on ourselves from time to time, but if we stare down that black hole for too long, it’s liable to swallow us whole. But this year, I’m determined not to let it. Let’s hold our heads high and be proud, shall we?

Chip away at that long running to-do list
We’ve all got one — it’s that to-do list that goes beyond the day-to-day activities of life. I’m dubbing mine The Long-Range To-Do List. Some things on the list: Go through some miscellaneous links, reorganize my sidebar links, try to keep my email inbox (relatively!) empty, go through a list of Pinterest people I’ve been meaning to subscribe to (follow me, if you don’t already…) and — the BIG ONE…wait for it… — finally get my business cards. Yes, I know I’m way late on this one, but I promise you these cards will be epic.

Reach out to more bloggers about guest posting
I’ve done quite a bit of guest posting in the past and have always enjoyed it. There are so many bloggers out there that I admire and working with them is such a fun experience. I’m thinking of doing another Guest Post Week maybe in the spring or summer. What do you think? As always, feel free to email me at mellow1422 (at) aol (dot) com if you’d like to work together! Can’t wait to hear from you!

Finally put a freelance binder together
I’ve been putting this one off for more than a year now, but it’s part of the reason I’m all about decluttering lately. I want to get back to pitching magazines this year and have been brainstorming ways to stay organized. Hence, the freelance binder idea was born. It’ll be full of mastheads, how-to-pitch guides, examples of the magazine sections I want to pitch to and a record of what I send and when. Because, really, nothing makes me as giddy as a school girl quite like a shiny new binder, all pretty and organized.

So, what do you think, friends? What are your blogging goals for 2014? What are you excited about, scared of or just plain not sure about? What are your favorite blogs? Found any new gems lately? Also, feel free to leave your blog address in the comments — let’s share the blog love! xoxo

[Photos via We Heart It]