welcome to the new year, when things will be better, or not

 After having a few setbacks in the month of December, I had high hopes of hitting 2021 with a new commitment. Instead, I’ve feeling more like I should be committed.

 For the past ten or eleven months, all we’ve heard is, “I can’t wait for this year to be over; next year has to be better.” I realize that we are only a few days into 2021, but there’s not been a single improvement in things. Six people I know have passed away since Christmas day – four of my patients that I was close to and two others, a friend of my husband’s and a friend of my mom’s. There’s been a few other more personal crises already this week as well. Argh! I know that the turning of a page in the calendar doesn’t magically change anything, but I think we all need a break.

 I’m not sure where I’m going to go with my goals for this year. I think the greatest goal needs to be to keep the stress out of my life. If 2020 taught us anything it should be that life is short and we need to keep our priorities straight. But since life is short, we can’t spend our days being sluggards either. All about balance, I guess.

 I’m not sure what I am going to be able to accomplish week by week, but I need to start somewhere. Here is my list of goals to keep in mind for the entire year.

 A. Writing

1. My novel, “Rewrite the Now”, which is a post-quel in the RASA series.  

a. Finish writing it by May.  

b. Self-publish it by August.  

            2. Next novel, which is actually book 1 in the RASA series.

a. Finish writing it by December. (Sounds lofty, but I am 14 chapters into it.)

            3. Other writing.

a. Finish my Covert Corona Chronicles, hopefully sooner than later, meaning this pandemic ends, right? 

b. Write three posts weekly on my other blog, “The Dino Chronicles”.

c. Write a weekly update on this blog.

d. Write a few random short stories and poems. Hard to commit to this, not knowing what will strike me.

B. Reaching

            1. One month prior to publishing “Rewrite the Now”, begin promoting it.

            2. Submit ten short pieces to various markets.

C. Reading

1.  Read an average of four blog posts by other people a week.

2. Read up to one-third of the Bible. I just finished reading through it the end of the year, took me three years, so sticking with the fact that it will take three years the next time around.

3. Read four books considered “classics.”

4. Read a daily devotion.

5. Read two other nonfiction books, either as research for “Rewrite the Now” or writing advice.

6. Read twelve other novels.    

D. Remaining

            1. Sewing.

a. Sew four more sweatshirt throws from MIL’s sweatshirts.

b. Finish my Snoopy quilt.

2. Clean and purge.

a. Clean all the closets in my house.

b. Post as many things to sell on Facebook Marketplace as I can.

c. Dispose of the remaining junk either at Goodwill or landfill.

            3. Remaining house.

                        a. Remodel the kitchen.

                        b. Tile bathroom.

                        c. Fix dining room ceiling.

4. Family tree

a. Finish my family tree.

b. Finish Hubby’s family tree.

5. Travel.

a. Go to Cambodia in the fall. Big life-long bucket list goal, which was cancelled, naturally, in 2020.

b. Travel anywhere and everywhere else which time and money allow.

 It’s rather unnerving looking at the whole list for the year. YIKES! Hopefully by the weekend, I’ll be able to pare it down into one-week increments. Depending on what other chaos develops between now and then.

Hopefully you finished off 2020 with more cheers than jeers and here’s wishing you a wonderful 2021. Chris