Thoughts for 2025 on the last day of 2024 (with bonus accountability!)
I don’t know about you, but 2024 has been a weird, crazy year for me on a lot of levels. Specifically, abstractly, professionally, and personally. Today I’m going to reflect on this with an eye towards tomorrow.
If you’ll indulge me for a moment, allow me to share:
Abstractly: The US election has colored the world in some really freaky ways. A lot of uncertainty here has made the last two months of the year feel almost surreal. This is one of many things that I maintain basic, minimal awareness of while striving to not let it impact me personally and professionally. But it has been a massive source of crazy.
Professionally: I managed to complete and self-publish a new trilogy, releasing Savagespace over September, October, and November. Also, I got a short story in my Forgotten Fodder series published in an anthology. Thanks to keeping some metrics, I know that I made my editing goal 90% of the time this year and my writing goal 36% of the time (so, yes, room for improvement).
Personally: My wife and I bought a house at the end of October and moved into it in late November. My new home office is awesome, and my new audio booth is 95% complete. There were some rough spots here and there, but my health has been great and is improving. I made my meditation goals 78% of the time this year, exercise goals 83% of the time, and have done a lot for my mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical wellness/wellbeing overall.
Life, as always, is a bit of a mixed bag. For the most part, things are good, I’m in a good place, and I see tons of potential and possibility for the new year.
Room for improvement and 2025 plans
I shared some numbers above. How did I come by them? I track certain metrics weekly. Overall, I was very good about this for 2024. This is why I was able to see percentages for what I did and didn’t achieve over each week, month, and year.
There were 2 large blank spots. One was the 2 weeks around our move. The other was my annual 10-day vacation at the Pennsic War in August. The numbers would shift if I hadn’t counted them, but I chose to include them because a year is a year.
The glaring issue I see is when it comes to meeting my writing goals. Even at only 36%, I still finished several books and started to plan/plot 4 new ideas (3 sci-fi concepts, and 1 fantasy). Yet, clearly, I have more to do to meet my writing goals.
I was afraid, seeing these numbers, that I might get upset. Though some are definitely lower than I would prefer they be, I’m not upset, angry, or even annoyed with myself. What I see here is room for improvement.
I know that I can be better at meeting my goals. Now that I can see what this looks like and have developed a means to quantify what I do via the numbers I track, I can give more active thought to things I can do to improve my work and better achieve the numbers I seek daily/weekly/monthly.
Personal and creative plans for the new year
For the sake of accountability – I give myself the weekend off. Hence, I aim to make all my goals 5 days a week. This might be oversharing, but those daily goals include:
- Editing (1-2 chapters, book or audiobook)
- Writing 1500 words of fiction (blogs don’t count here)
- Meditating (5 minutes minimum, usually 20 minutes daily)
- Journaling (writing in a physical book)
- Exercise (taking a walk, fencing, hitting the gym, etc)
- Affirmations (cheesy, maybe, but they’re empowering)
- Water (I strive to drink at least 8 12oz glasses of water a day)
These goals blend the personal and creative, which I believe is important to establishing a sustainable work/life balance.
Please note – there are no resolutions here. I’m not a fan of resolutions, so instead I strive to take actions to move my life forward where and how I desire. These goals are daily goals, all of which are easily achievable and maintained. None are unreasonable. Given that I met them between 36% and 90% of the time, totally realistic and improvable.
The two I most need to improve on are writing and doing my affirmations. Then journaling (to collect my thoughts) and meditating (both maintain mental/emotional/spiritual balance). This is a perfectly reasonable blend of the professional and personal.
I have finished 2 and have 2 books to go in my ongoing Forgotten Fodder series. I’m nearly done with my edits to Jay and Char Save the Galaxy, so that will go to the editor in early January. When it comes back, I’ll begin recording it (the audio booth will be complete by then.) I’ll take one of my other, half-formed ideas and plan it out so I can get to writing the next novel(s).
I’m also being more proactive with my dietary habits and exercise.
Only different in your mind
Despite the craziness on the abstract level, I’ll make the most of my life on the personal and professional levels – which are, of course, the only levels in my control (and in your control for your life).
It’s far too easy to allow abstract matters to dominate your life. While it’s important to be mindful of them, you can’t do much for them. It is not selfish of you to work on plans for your personal and professional life. Especially because that falls utterly in your control.
Using mindfulness, you can alter your thoughts, feelings, intentions, approach, and actions. In that way, you can make choices and decisions to make plans for your life.
Keep one thing in mind here. While 2024 is about to turn into 2025, things are only different in your mind. Yet, knowing that, you can use the New Year to make plans for change. Just remember that change will only occur with action.
New Year’s Actions have more power to them than resolutions do. Action is how you make changes, start and do new things, and turn plans and ideas into reality. You’re empowered to do this, so go ahead and make of it what you will.
Happy New Year!
Thanks for reading. As I share my creative journey with you, I conclude with this: How are you inspired to be your own creator – whatever form that takes?
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