It’s been quite a year. It feels like it’s been quite a year every year (or possibly every day) for the past seven-ish years. But here we are and it’s time to take stock.
I actually wrote a blog post in January 2024 detailing some recent changes in my life and what they meant for the coming months. This has somehow vanished, but the gist of it was I took voluntary redundancy after working at the same place for nearly 20 years and was in the fortunate position of not having to get a new job straight away so I could take some “time out”.
Not wishing to waste this time, I created a list of aims for the year and now it’s time to do a little compare and contrast to see what’s what.
My original plans
- Write the first draft my next book, a collection of speculative short stories
- Learn how to create video games
- Do more with the blog (move hosting, monetize??)
- Learn more about writing
- Visit some places solo
- Spend more time with the parents and friends
What I actually ended up doing
Was I overly ambitious? Yes, yes I was. But I did achieve some things. Just not so much the things I planned.
- Started writing the short stories – but ended up choosing to write a new full-length novel instead
- Started the first draft of said novel
- Entered 17 short story, poetry and flash fiction competitions
- Received results from 12 competitions – 3 shortlists and 1 honourable mention
- Moved this blog to a new hosting site, failed to make use of and moved back
- Did not learn how to create video games
- Did learn more about writing
- Spent time with parents and friends
What I learned…or something
This isn’t going to be a Disney/Hallmark/teen drama “learning moment” by any means. So, I started off with a plan and ended up not following it? So what. That’s life in a nutshell.
Still, I like to make plans, make lists, and then tick things off as I complete them so I get knocked off kilter when that doesn’t happen. I’ve had some down points that’s for sure. All you have to do these days is wake up to be confronted with some new batshit thing happening in the world. The balance between keeping informed and being overwhelmed is a fine one. You can’t hide from it, but I think we humans weren’t designed to hold this much information. Knowing everything, everywhere, all at once, leads to nothing but paralysis and depression.
On the flip side, all the crap going on reminds me I’m damn lucky and not just because I’ve had this time away from the 9-to-5. I have people who care about me, a roof above my head and food in my belly. And I still have opportunities, albeit tempered by world events. Next year even more change is on the horizon. So let’s see what happens.
Wordland 