2014, Let's Put a Hat On the Year
Well! A new year has dawned upon us and 2013 didn't signify the end of the year, to varying levels of disappointment. I've got black eyed peas cooking with too much ham and will probably post my 'recipe' of this cooking disaster experiment tomorrow. My holidays were lovely, if unproductive, and I've been reading a lot lately. Hopefully this will result in more reviews. Today should result in laundry, but we'll find out if that happens. First, a blog, about the past, the future, and sharks.
Actually, I lied. There will be no sharks.
Health:
2013: No complaints in the health department here. Well, trying to readjust to the high altitude and dry air has been playing bloody hell on my sinuses, but short of that, health has been fine.
For 2014: Should, in theory, have overly expensive and mostly useless health care in 2014. I'm not happy about the cost of that, let me tell you. BUT, at least I will (provided the health care companies actually send me stuff so that I can GET healthcare) have health care and can get a general check up in. That will be good to get an official look at where I'm doing healthwise, because for all that I feel fine, I've got an awful paranoid voice in the back of my head that hisses that everything is cancerous and I'm going to keel over any second now. It's not a loud voice, but getting an official checkup should shush the damn thing up.
Wealth:
2013: The bank account is down. I'm not too happy with where the number is. There's a number of reasons for this, moving isn't cheap and I continue to defy the idea of working full time again. But, I've currently got a part time job that is paying me something closer to what I'm actually worth as an employee. There are other problems with the job, but as a whole, I think it's going to work.
For 2014: We'll see how finances go. I'm hoping I can stabilize things and maybe even store a little money away for the future. There are many indicators that I can, but a couple of things weighing against me (yes, I'm looking at YOU health insurance). It should be manageable, but I'll reassess finances later in 2014. If things don't go well, I'll have to give up the part time bohemian life and go work a nine to five again. Not the goal, but always an option.
Love:
2013: Sometimes, I don't even know why I have this category. I never improve here, my social life is still the same, my actual love life is still the same. And while I wouldn't mind making more friends, I'm not actually miserable or lonely. Which is why this has never been an issue that I've pursued all that actively. If things are not ideal, they are at least in a place I can be complacent of.
For 2014:
Honestly, right now what I really want out of my social life is to find a writing group. I actually found one 2013, then promptly moved five states away. Because that's always how this works. So, if I've got a goal on the social front for 2014, it's to make some more writer friends, preferably in the area. As ever, not sure how hard I'll pursue this, which is why it's not a resolution so much as a vague, questioning ideal.
Prosperity:
I detailed the results of 2013 in detail at the start of my writing year, so I'll just use this to give a quick progress update on how December went on the writing front. Aaaaand, well, it sucked. I did not reach my goal of 30k. I did not write consistently on any one thing, but prodded a few things and actually started a bunch of things, which was fun, but did not get me closer towards finishing anything. Mostly, I spent December recalling that:
A) holidays seriously interfere with productivity and that's okay. Don't stress, just accept that you will never get as much done as you want to during this month. Get done what you can and let what you don't get done slide in the name of Holiday Spirit.
B) I suck at writing during the winter. This is one of those facts that I am generally aware of but never remember the depth of until winter actually hits. I tend to get writer's block every winter and if it's not writer's block, it's a general malaise of Not Wanting To Do Shit. I want to sit around play virtual petsites all day, not do things that are actually useful. Everyone's always surprised when I mention this. They think I would be MORE productive in the winter when its dark and I can't go outside. And maybe this is true for other writers, but for me? I'm less productive in the winter. When it's nice outside and the craving to be outside hits, technology means I can just go outside and do writing, giving me both the nice weather AND space to write in. So that's no barrier. What is about the winter that means I'm less productive, I don't know. But now that it's not December, I'm not letting it get the better of me.
Goal for January:
Get the read through of Cat that Wouldn't Die done this next month.
Resolutions:
2013:
1) Learn how to write short stories
FAILED. I really just need to stop making this a goal. If I learn how to write short stories, it will not be because I'm trying. It will just happen. I'll turn around and realize that what I've written are, in fact, a number of short stories. And then I'll have to figure out how publishing them works. But you know, for now, shelving this as a goal.
2) Get my ass back in the internet eye
Mixed success! I did in fact make a blog! I've also been tweeting more and generally getting myself adjusted to the idea of being in the public eye. Now, I really wanted to be blogging weekly all of last year and you can see that didn't happen. Also, the cross posting never happened. I really need to figure out the crossposting.
2014:
1) Keep up with the blogging
One blog post a week, for the rest of the year, probably minus November because November is a Busy Time. Blog updates will either happen on Thursday or Sunday (because reasons), and I'm not holding myself to a set schedule beyond that.
2) ....That's it actually
I don't really have any other resolutions for 2014. I have discussed a number of goals and things I'm pursuing, but none of them really fall into the resolution category. Largely because most of my goals are basically "Keep doing what you've been doing, only maybe a little harder?" So, if anything, that's my resolution?
Welp, still haven't done laundry. I'd best get on that. And find some food while I'm at it.
May 2014 kick 2013's ass. In a good way.