That time of the year again. I reached a milestone age this last year and now it's December already and time to review whether I achieved the goals I listed at the beginning of the year.
Writing GoalsI'm happy to say I finished the first and second draft of the follow up to Down The Tubes. I really hope to get it finished by next year!
My second writing goal was to crack on with another Little Guide. I have made a lot of headway although it's a slow burner, something to fill in those little pockets of time on the go (when I remember!)
I didn't get round to updating my satirical anti-novel Lost The Plot but I did manage to get another novel into paperback. This was my first ever novel, now called Did You Whisper Back? which won a Southern Arts Bursary back in 1991 (after a major rewrite) and that's been out on Kindle for a number of years. It's an important story about one young woman's struggle with mental illness and it's set in the 1970s when the stigma was much greater even than today. I enjoyed designing the cover for it to match the subject matter and era.
Health goals
As I mentioned at the end of last year I was I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia ten years ago. I wanted further investigation into ME too as there is a large overlap between the two conditions and I got the official diagnosis this year. It was agreed for me to have a group of further sessions on activity management with a specialist and I have had one and a half so far. The half session had to be cut short due to the condition below.
I would still love to get on top of the hyperhidrosis which is worse in the cold weather, paradoxically. In my goals for last year I planned to try CBD oil, and Turmeric with Black Pepper for the above conditions, which may have not helped with this condition but I like to think they're helping in other ways.
House Improvement Goals
We got our bespoke book shelves and units in our sitting room (now filled with books!), we've had the upstairs shower removed to create more storage space and a shower installed over the bath downstairs. I do feel better when I have more storage space and clearing things out. But still plenty to be done.
Other Goals
I've not been able to return to drop in singing sometimes (because of ongoing health problems mentioned above). This is a cause for regret - but perhaps I can get someone to come to me instead.
Knitting - not achieved!
Help my sister with a website for her art - not achieved! (But she needs to get some art ready for selling, even if only in card form).
Some of the unachieved will rollover to next year, no doubt, when I do next years's goals. I find it enormously helpful to do this - it gives a sense of achievement and shows you really are getting things done, even when it feels to the contrary.
When I put up last years's goals, my good author friend Chantelle Atkins said we should also try and arrange for another meet up. I thought this would be a great idea although I wasn't too hopeful since going out anywhere, let alone travelling, is an uphill struggle. But I decided I'd really like to go to Mudeford and Christchurch on holiday and as this is nearby, we managed a meet up, yay! We had a great catch up and natter in our AirBnB in Christchurch. Now Chantelle's latest book is just out - yippee!
I don't seem to have kept up much with this blog this year, maybe that will be a goal for the new decade. I'd only realised the other day that yes, we're coming to the end of another decade! I do try to keep this blog mainly about writing. The only other blog post I managed between the years's beginning and end was a political one, and the less said about all that the better. Onwards and upwards.
I wish you all a happy, healthy and creative new year and decade :)
Some of the unachieved will rollover to next year, no doubt, when I do next years's goals. I find it enormously helpful to do this - it gives a sense of achievement and shows you really are getting things done, even when it feels to the contrary.
When I put up last years's goals, my good author friend Chantelle Atkins said we should also try and arrange for another meet up. I thought this would be a great idea although I wasn't too hopeful since going out anywhere, let alone travelling, is an uphill struggle. But I decided I'd really like to go to Mudeford and Christchurch on holiday and as this is nearby, we managed a meet up, yay! We had a great catch up and natter in our AirBnB in Christchurch. Now Chantelle's latest book is just out - yippee!
My favourite beach huts at Mudeford.
I don't seem to have kept up much with this blog this year, maybe that will be a goal for the new decade. I'd only realised the other day that yes, we're coming to the end of another decade! I do try to keep this blog mainly about writing. The only other blog post I managed between the years's beginning and end was a political one, and the less said about all that the better. Onwards and upwards.
I wish you all a happy, healthy and creative new year and decade :)
