Here we go again! Another year full of opportunities to grow, improve and learn, to be grateful, breathe, and laugh long and loud and often.
WRITING
How do you know when that small thing will become the last thing, sending a person right over the edge . . . and taking you down with them?
Not Very Neighbourly, a drabble, is available to read in Dark Moments, the online publication of Black Hare Press. It’s also included in their anthology, Year Six, which includes all their online nano tales published in 2024.
Another pleasant surprise at the end of 2024 was the acceptance of a short story to be published in an anthology in spring 2025.
READING
I slightly exceeded my 2024 Goodreads goal = reading 54/52 books. I’m keeping the same goal – 52 books - for 2025. It gives me both direction and wiggle room.
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“One Word” - I always want this concept to work better for me than it does. I don’t know if I’m choosing the wrong word or if it’s the wrong time for that word or if I’m not keeping it in mind enough. But I don’t see the harm in trying again!
So, for 2025, I’m going with the word QUIET. I chose it for a number of reasons, but the biggest one is because I have a lot of “noise” inside of me – anxieties, fears, scattered thoughts, the list goes on and on. I hope to use the word as a sort of mantra.
“The 24 in 24 List” – I basically scrapped this a few months into last year. Another concept I like, but I don’t think it works for me at this point in my life.
“The Write 24 in 24 Challenge” – This worked so well for me that I’m continuing it for myself! So, hello, Write 25 in 25!
“Habit Tracking/Don’t Break the Chain” – This also worked really well for me, for both the writing challenge and for a handful of healthy habits I set for myself. I’m definitely going to keep this up!
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Do you have any goals or plans for 2025? Any advice, lessons, systems for achieving them?
Congratulations on the drabble and short story.
ReplyDeleteQuiet is a good word. I think peace works for me. Going into 2025, there is a peace I've not felt in the last four-five years.
Thanks, Alex!
DeletePeace is a great word! That was also on my list of word choices, but I rarely ever get there and knew I would just get frustrated. Quiet works for me because I feel like I can achieve that, even with all my inner hoopla. :)
It's great you met your reading goals. And I'm glad you found ways to meet your goals in 2024. I don't have many in 2025 other than to try to take care of myself better and spend more time doing things I enjoy doing.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Natalie. As I've gotten older, I'm not as hard on myself if I don't achieve everything I set out to do. I'm getting better at focusing on the journey, the process.
DeleteYour 2025 plans sound like good ones to me! :)