So, here we are. We’ve made it through 2018, and into the new year mostly intact. I even waited a day before posting just to make sure there were no take-backs. And we’ve also reached the end of my blogging notebook. One chapter ends and another begins.

It was a wild ride in 2018. There was personal growth and change in the year I turned 40, not just as a writer, but as a human adult. Last year gave me lessons at every turn.

• I learned to forget my ego and embrace revision. I have been working on my latest novel for several years now. I took time to ensure it fit my vision of what a project was supposed to be. And then someone edited it. All these foreign red and blue highlights appeared on my manuscript, and I felt ill. So, I had to check my ego at the cover and read what my editor said. It turns out she was right, and the changes she suggested will make this project stronger. I just had to get over myself and listen.

• I let go of stagnation and went beyond my comfort zone. There were several elements in my life that were comfortable. Not excellent, not terrible, but comfortable. And while comfort is a fantastic thing, it will keep you from challenging yourself and reaching the next level. My solution? Moving from the cozy medium-sized town of Bellingham to the larger City of Seattle. (Don’t worry. I’m not suddenly a Mariners or Seahawks fan.)

• I decided to not live in the past. No matter how glorious or terrible the past years have been, I decided they were over. I released a novel in 2014. People liked it. That was then, this is now. We hold on to past successes and failures for much longer than we should and living in the rearview hampers our ability to plan for the future.

Even though there were goals that I did not reach this year—the next book has had a “Coming Soon” placeholder for far too long—I can’t say 2018 was a bad year. But where do we go from here? Taking last year as an overall victory isn’t to say that it was perfect, or even smooth. There’s plenty of room for improvement.

• For starters, I’m going to write more. I re-upped on my 365-day writing challenge and pledged to average 300 words a day. I can probably double that number, or even triple it—this post is already at over 400 words—but it’s not as much about word count as it is about rebuilding good habits. It’s about carving out the time to do this necessary thing and getting my butt in a chair to do it. In that vein…

• I’m trying to get back into shape. As I’ve gotten older, it’s become harder to maintain the tightness in my abs or run up a flight of stairs without getting winded. Sad, but true. Fitness is something I’ve de-prioritized over the last four or five years. It used to be a big part of who I am, and I want to make that true again.

My plans for 2019 aren’t meant to be the focus of all this, and I don’t mean to besmirch the accomplishments and gains made in 2018. It was a good year with forward movement. But it’s time to close that book and start a new one. As I do that, I’m optimistic about what 2019 can be.

Oh, the places we’ll go.

#2018 #2019 #NewYear #author #writer #resolutions