I’ve gotten my calendar for next year (two, actually, I couldn’t decide!) and have begun the planning process for the new year. I always keep a physical calendar in addition to my Google calendar. I find it easier to organize my life and productivity that way. Very soon I’ll be getting a new system of planning my work which I’m hoping will be useful.
I backed a KickStarter by Orna Ross who has a program she calls “Go Creative!”. I’m not entirely sure what her program is, but I’ve “known” Orna Ross for a long time (I’ve participated in a seminar she ran and she’s a major voice at the Alliance for Independent Authors). Once I get the Go Creative planner, I’ll share my take on it with you, naturally.
So, if you’ve been reading my blog for some time, you’ll know that every year I write out three goals, three hopes, and three dreams for the coming year. A goal is something achievable, a hope is something that will take more work and effort to attain, and a dream is a pie-in-the-sky sort of thing.
Last year, as I sat in a hotel room with both of my arms in casts after breaking both of my wrists (because breaking just one would have been too easy and ordinary, right?), I wrote out my Goals, Hopes, and Dreams for 2023. And although I didn’t actually write it down, my main goal was to get my wrists in good working order once again. Happily, that one I have achieved (with only one additional surgery necessary and another one I’ll have to undergo in 2024 sometime).
My first goal for last year was to write three novels and a novella, something I try to achieve every year. Sadly, between my wrists, moving back to the US, and some unpleasant personal stuff, I only managed to write two novels. The first one took me six months to write—the longest any book has ever taken me. The second took two and a half months—one of the shortest any book has taken. So, I think I evened out.
Aside from writing, marketing and getting reviews were another goal I had. And I am happy to say that I actually ran successful Facebook ad campaigns for a few months! Yay!! Reviews I’m still working on.
For my hopes, I wanted to sell more books and get more coaching clients. Well, one of the two ain’t bad. I definitely have sold more books this past year. Coaching clients… well, since I don’t advertise and I didn’t do any teaching last year (a nice way to get new clients), that one did materialize.
My dreams were just what you’d expect—to make a list. I did, in fact, make the USA Today List as part of an anthology. That was fun and now I can put that on the cover of every book I write from now on. 😊
Aside from goals, hopes, and dreams, I also choose a word for the year. Last year the word was Organize. Can you blame me? In 2022 I moved five times! Once between countries when we had to evacuate from Kyiv where we had been living. And then four more times hopping from Air BnB all around Vienna, where we were placed by my husband’s company. Thankfully, 2023 saw only one move—from Europe back to the US and I’m happy to say that I have become wonderfully organized now that I have all of my belongings in one place (instead of three places in three countries as it was the year before). What a relief it has been to be settled!
Well, dear friends, I do hope that this post has made you start thinking about what your Goals, Hopes, and Dreams may be for 2024. I’m thinking of that too and I’ll report back to you after the New Year with that. Until then, I hope you have a joyous and relaxing holiday!