Goodbye 2020 and hello 2021. 2020 is winding down and everyone seems to look toward 2021. After surviving this past year, I’ve looked back to see what I’ve accomplished. It’s not much.
What I’ve Accomplished
I have finished my first round of edits on The Witch’s Complement. I plan on publishing it in 2021. I started the first draft of the second book in that series.
I entered a flash fiction contest. The rules were to write a 250-word story on the topic given within 24 hours. I will know the results in January.
I wrote rough drafts of two short stories, one of which will be a freebie for anyone signing up for my newsletter. The other is solidly in the erotica category, which has me considering submitting it to an anthology or writing several short stories in that genre and releasing it as a set of erotic short stories.
I spent the last 5 months teaching my son and his friend via e-learning with the local primary school. I knew that teaching was hard, but I never considered the emotional and mental toll it takes on a person. Just the patience I had to maintain sucked away my mental strength. Teachers do not get paid enough to put up with and teach our bratty children.
I lived through being an “essential worker” for almost 6 months before I quit to teach my son. My job was neither essential nor fulfilling. They gutted my department by 40% within the 3rd month of the pandemic and expected everyone to keep a positive attitude. I’d never been so disgruntled in all my life.
Past Goals vs Future Desires
Now I am facing 2021 looking back on my 2020 goals. My goals for 2020 were a bit great. You can read them here. I wanted to post one blog a week. That did not happen. And looking back, even in the first two months, I felt that it would not happen. It was too much for me on top of all my other responsibilities.
My writing goal of finishing my first draft and publishing was off. The pandemic stress and constantly changing priorities blew it out of the water. Without the pandemic, I think I could have been ready to publish by October, which is still past my original goal of July.
The conference goals were just dead by March. They were all canceled. I have no idea what conventions will be up and running this year.
My reading goals died with my stress level. Failing the goal of reading 36 books by the end of the year is the one that upsets me the most. I love to read. But I had a hard time concentrating this year. It just didn’t happen. I read 16 books, not even half of my goal.
Looking Forward
So goodbye 2020. I look toward 2021, and the only thing that I really want to do is publish my novella. So that will be my goal for the year. Anything else I accomplish is icing on the book cake. Now I want cake in the shape of a book.
Whatever 2021 brings, let’s all try to great it with flexibility and understanding. Let’s look into the future and let go of the grief that 2020 introduced into our lives. Waiting for the next shoe to drop has weighed many of us down. I will no longer wait for that proverbial shoe to fall, but walk forward wearing a hard hat, knowing it will fall. I am prepared to roll with it instead of letting it stop me in my tracks.
