2019 was a whirlwind. A whirlwind where things advanced a great deal in my life. Even though I still feel like I haven’t gotten much done, looking back, I can see how much I’ve accomplished this year. It’s hard to see how far you’ve come when you’re so busy looking ahead at a goal you haven’t quite reached yet.
But today, I’m taking a moment to reflect on what I’ve accomplished.
1) I transitioned into a day job that challenges my writing skills everyday. It’s not fiction or storytelling per say, but I’ve certainly grown in my writing skill, thanks to my job. For this, I’m grateful. And the company I work for is filled with just genuinely nice people.
2) I continued to intern with a book publishing company I enjoy working with. Honestly? Reading books for free and getting to put the experience on my resume is a win-win for me. And I’m going to get to continue to intern with BHC Press throughout 2020. I never thought I’d have so much fun with an internship, but it’s truly been a wonderful experience. I’ve grown from evaluating manuscripts to doing a couple graphic design assignments, like learning how to create an eBook. Pretty cool stuff.
3) I somehow managed to get over 25,000 words in my WIP. Considering my track record, this is an accomplishment for me.
4) I didn't abandon this blog and website. Have I written blog posts or updated this website as frequently as I would have liked? No. But I did blog. And I haven't deleted it yet. This is the blog I've stuck with more than any other blog I've started in the past. And like many other Millennials out there, yes, I have started several blogs before. Some that have never even seen the light of day - you're welcome. I'm proud of myself for sticking it out.
And now, it’s time for 2020 goals. Ugh. I’ve never been good with resolutions, so I’m apprehensive about making them. However, I do have a couple of things I’d like to accomplish - and some things I absolutely need to accomplish.
1) Finish the letters. I have ONE LAST BINDER of letters to type up from Gen and Andy. In fact, I’ve already started on it, but in the whirlwind of changing jobs and juggling that with a bunch of side gigs I had to focus on, I just couldn’t get through it. But I have let those side gigs go. All I have on my plate now is work, internship, ranch work, and writing. This last binder of letters is something I do need to get done. Before Easter.
2) Finish my fiction WIP. This one is a bit lofty, so it’s more of a hope than a goal. But if I can finish the first draft, polish it up, and start sending it out to agents and/or small publishers that would be a good fit for it…that would be great. But I think I’ll just try to finish it first. One step at a time.
3) Don’t overload myself. Saying “no” is a very difficult thing for me to do, especially when I feel I’m needed. The reason I got so overloaded in the first place was because I said “yes” to commitments that really should have been a “no.” The world will keep turning if I’m not involved. At least, that’s what I’m telling myself in 2020. So, if you’re someone I say no to in the upcoming year, it’s nothing against you. I have personal projects I need/want to accomplish and making commitments outside of that keeps me from doing that. So…#sorrynotsorry.
With that said, I have to say, 2019 was a pretty good year for me. It started a bit rough, but only improved with time. For that alone, I'm truly grateful, because I've had some rough years there. I'll even go so far to say that 2019 was one of the best years of my life, even with all the bumps along the way. Because for the first time in a very long time it feels like the good finally outweighed the bad.
I'm hoping this good streak continues on into 2020. I have a feeling it will.
Happy New Year, everyone, and may you have a 2020 like my 2019 was for me.