2020 Year End, 2021 Goals

 

I did it. Books 1 and 2 are written and printed (that image shows both books, printed double-spaced but also on both sides...). I have begun Book 3 and will continue to add to it, but my goal is to actively write Book 3 and try to edit/rewrite Book 1 by June so my 91yo (will then be 92yo) Grandmother can read it. I think it'll be definitely a stretch goal, but achievable with focus.

This last week of the year, I've been visiting my father and stepfamily. It is very laid back here and the pace of life is completely different. I absolutely needed some chill time, but I desperately miss my kitties (so much; irrationally so; illogically so; I don't know if I've ever missed them so much, and for the first time, it FEELS like I've been gone a long time, when usually vacation feels very short). I've been using this extra time in the midwest to write more. I've tried to write every day.

Not all days have been very productive. Yesterday, my husband gave me a shot instead of feeding me lunch, so the writing time was half spent not falling asleep (#lightweight yar!). Today, I actively wrote about an hour even though I've been in front of my computer for two hours (eh, I think yesterday was about an hour as well), and I am having a hard time digging into it like I did about three days ago (THAT was awesome; wrote for 2 hours and didn't look at my phone once. Huzzah!).

I can't decide if it's because I'm tired (trying not to fall asleep again -- this staying up to see 2021 arrive might be challenging and interesting) or if it's because I miss my cats and my home. It sounds silly. I absolutely am not ready to leave my family, and in THAT regard, it DOES feel like vacation has flown, but as for being away from home, away from my cats, and the different lifestyle, it feels like I've been gone forever.

I can't wait to cuddle my fuzzybutts!

So. As for the writing, I hope the fact that I've printed the books will be good. I know I'll catch a lot of grammatical errors that way (something about words in print), but I edit and write via my laptop and a keyboard -- my brain moves too fast for my hands to keep up unless I'm on a keyboard -- so this editing with a pen thing will be interesting.

As for WHAT to do -- I think I know what I need to do; I only hope it won't take too long of time to do it.

So. What are the GOALS of 2021 besides edit Books 1 and 2 while writing Book 3? Get the heck off my phone. I waste so much time on it. I do really well for a while, and then I slide back, and as it happens, a lot of that time is when I'm supposed to be writing. Sometimes it works well if I'm super distracted anyway, but most of the time, it CAUSES me to be super distracted. 

That said, I'm pleased with how often I've been writing and wish to continue to write that frequently. I think I just need to tell myself in my brain that it is OKAY that I'll be editing some of that time vs actively writing and that, in a way, editing Books 1 and 2 WILL be a VERSION of actively writing.

Okay. Well. I am supposed to be writing right now. I've forced out about 60-90 minutes of effort and then started dicking around on the phone again, and then I just decided to write this closing blog post for the year.  I still have some stuff to do for my paying job, especially with it being year's end, so I will be doing that.

Between today and yesterday, I did get about two hours' worth of writing in, and overall, I've been working on it more frequently than I usually work if I were back home, but I'm still fighting against that sensation of feeling like I'm slacking. But not all days come easy! And some days are hard! But what will help?! Getting rid of the phone during my writing times during 2021. Yes.

Alrighty. Rambling over.

Here are the Bullets for my 2021 writing goals:

1 - Edit Book 1 by June so my grandmother can read it for her 92nd birthday.

2 - Start editing Book 2/try to finish that one by year's end.

3 - Make significant strides on actively writing Book 3. If I cannot finish editing Book 2, I want to try finish writing the draft of Book 3. Basically, I want to finish two major steps this upcoming year.

4 - Put the freaking phone down.

5 - Maybe create an author website?

6 - Maybe start that podcast with The Candy Store?

7 - Overall just remain consistent in my writing efforts. Right now, I write Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat, Sun for 2 hours each. Sometimes one of those weekend days is spent reading instead as a refueling day. That is fine and works for my Muse (equates to 8-10 hours a week). I want to keep up this momentum to help me edit and write at the same time. Fingers crossed and pray to God that He blesses the journey.

Personal goals:

1 - Church every Sunday

2 - Bible group most, if not all, Fridays

3 - Workout 4x a week (I usually consistently workout 3x a week with my strength and then do a bunch of random stuff, so I usually hit 4x or more anyway, but I'd like my baseline to be 4x instead of 3x)

4 - Stop wasting time on the phone

5 - Spend more time with my favorite people

Alrighty, guys! It's the end of one crazy year. I'm excited to see what 2021 holds! Thank you for tagging along with me during this creative process. I look forward to the day (hopefully soon!) that I can begin the process of sharing my creation not only with my grandmother but with you all and the rest of the world!

~ J. R. DuBois, author

-- also, am thinking about just going with the author name Jess DuBois, but... we'll see. None of that really matters right now anyway.

So yeah.

Ciao.

~Jess