Last year, I opened this blog with a New Years’ resolutions post. Much has changed since then, as I described in my 2023 review post, but one thing hasn’t changed: I need to make myself some lists.
And what better time to make a list than at the beginning of the year?
As usual, I have some goals which are writing related, and some that are more personal. Unlike some years, though, I do actually think I can accomplish these goals.
Without further ado, here are my goals for 2024:
Self-Publish Ghosts of the Steel Road
As announced late last year, I’ll be self-publishing Ghosts of the Steel Road! This is definitely my main goal, given that it’ll be a surprise gift for my mom, but I also want to make sure I do it as correctly as possible so things are easier when I self-publish other projects (my taxes will already be annoying enough). I’ll probably be sharing smaller updates on my research journey on my Tumblr, so be sure to keep an eye there.
Complete Two First Drafts
Beyond the editing and other tasks needed for self-publishing this fall, I want to get ahead on some of my other projects. Unfortunately, that means actually getting the projects down in writing, as I don’t currently have any other completed first drafts. But, with some writing challenges focused more on consistency rather than large word counts, I think I could get to the point where I’ve completed the first drafts of two projects!
Maintain My Online Presence
Despite the fact that I don’t care about making a large sum of money off my novel, I do realize I need to actually understand how social media works to get the word of my novel out there. So, from keeping the weekly posts on this blog to actually understanding how Instagram works, my plan is to work on my online presence. I especially want to learn more and interact with other people’s projects on social media, such as on Tumblr, as I’ve tried to in the past but just haven’t been able to in a bit.
Take Better Care of Myself
Outside of writing, I need to do more to take care of myself. Last year, I was super burnt out for much of the year, and I often ate just to survive, not to actually enjoy it. I need to focus more on myself, so I don’t continue the cycle of burn out and pain I’ve been dealing with. This focus on self-care will be a multitude of things, but my main focuses are eating more diverse foods, stretching daily, and pacing myself better on tasks.
Take Time for Media
One method of pacing myself with tasks obviously comes in the form of actually sitting down and taking in the different forms of media I keep saying I’m going to watch (or read, or play). I’ve slowly gotten better at this over time, but I want to get better. This year, I’m going to make a more concerted effort to take in media, even if it’s just a bit of a dent in my list of things to watch, read, and play. I’ll also try to make a few posts of what I’ve liked over the year, as a check-in and a way to ramble about the things I like.
Hang Out with People More
I’ll admit: I wasn’t very social last year. While I saw people at events or scheduled activities, I really struggled to connect with people outside of that. So, this year, I want to (and really need to) allow myself to hang out with people in casual situations, if just so I can try to maintain my friendships for the rest of college (post-graduation will be a whole different monster, depending on how my plans shape up).
Be More Willing with Fashion
One of my goals last year was to experiment more with my fashion. While I didn’t really do that, part of it was because I was afraid. It’s time to stop being afraid. My goal is to allow myself to wear clothing that is outside what people usually see me in, and not be scared of being judged for it. After all, I’m not in high school anymore, and I can’t live my life in fear.
Overall, while I don’t know what this year is going to bring, I’m going to do everything in my power to make this a year of less burnout and more creativity. It’ll be exciting to have this blog running more consistently through the year, and to monitor my progress through it.
Let’s do this, everyone!
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