Thinking Ahead

It's that time of year again when folk start to make plans for the New Year. Making resolutions which most of them will have forgotten by the start of February. I used to do that too until I decided to stop putting all that pressure on myself, knowing that I would fail. The law of averages said I would be one of the millions who failed to keep those unrealistic resolutions and if there's one thing I've learned over the years is that I am quite capable of failing without any extra pressure!

So boo to the New Year resolution and I for one will not make them anymore. But there is something about the turning of the year which draws us to reflect on the year past and make plans for the coming year. So I will spend some time thinking about what I want to do next year, what I want to look back on and celebrate in twelve months time.

Firstly, I have been planning to start my own podcast about writing and using it as a vehicle to share my own writing. This is an exciting and also scary time but I feel up to the challenge and secretly I'm rather looking forward to trying a new venture. As of yet it does not have a name which is another task for the New Year. I'm calling it Johanne's Writing Podcast at the moment which covers exactly what it is but isn't all that exciting!

Which brings me neatly onto the second thing. I want to try sharing my writing a bit more than I have done in the past. I want to get into the habit of submitting something each month. Realistically I know that this doesn't mean I will get something accepted every month but I feel it's time to stop being so reticent with my writing. I need to give it wings and see if any of it will fly. So watch out for news of submissions and hopefully some successes.

Lastly I want to watch less and listen more, to watch less and read more. I have a bad habit of watching too much TV, chewing gum for the eyes. Most of it washes over me and doesn't enhance or enrich my life at all. So next year I want to listen to the radio more, engage my brain and leave time to contemplate and read.

So, no resolutions that I know I can't keep, just some vague thoughts and a more 'professional' attitude to my writing. Here's hoping for success and good news for all of us in 2019!