Tag Archives: Happy New Year

Bye bye, 2023!

Posted in Posts by

I’m sure you’ve heard it a few times by now, maybe even said it a number of times yourself, but this year flew by.

But really, it did.

With yet another multi-state move, it feels as if most of the year was dedicated to either leaving one place or getting settled in a new one. I still don’t quite feel myself, and I still don’t know where some of our belongings are. ((sigh))

Now that we’ve found a place to live that we like, are both working steadily so that at least we have a sense of financial stability, and have some sort of routine, and now that the holidays are nearly over, I feel like, what I consider, normalcy is within reach.

Optimism.

Knowing that the move was imminent, I set low reaching goals for myself this year. And I made most of them. I initially set out to read 17 books, because that was what I had done the year before (not trying to be an overachiever) but by May I knew that was going to be unattainable, so I adjusted it to 10. I read 11 and actually, to focus on a writing goal, stopped reading all together this last month, so, in theory, I could’ve gotten a bit closer.

I made my movie watching goal of 24 movies and actually exceeded it by 10. I’ll post my annual review in January.

I got my first screenplay professionally read in order to obtain feedback. I started fleshing out a new script, Man of Sin. I’m excited to share the idea with all of you. I started building my network, and have made some progress already.

I didn’t make my writing goals yet, but I also knew with the move it would take too much out of me mentally to focus, so I adjusted my timeline into January. We’ll see where we are in a month. Eek.

Photo by Jill Wellington on Pexels.com

I have bigger goals set for 2024 and I’m crossing my fingers that I’ll be better at achieving them. As I’ve said a time or two before, probably because I shared a quote or five in a similar vein, start small, because even those small steps will eventually lead to grand results.

How did you fair this year? Did you achieve most or all of your goals? What are you hoping to tackle next year? If you’d like to share them below, we can try to help each other be accountable.

Hello, 2024! Let’s make you a good one!

I wish you all the very best! Happy New Year! Be safe and be well!

xx, Rach

Welcome to 2020

Posted in Posts by

20202Happy New Year, friends!

Can you believe it?  Not only has another year ended, but we’re now in a new decade.  I’m still of the mindset that the 90s were the last decade because to think otherwise is just ridiculous.  How could it be, now, 20+ years ago?!

I tend to bring in the new year doing the one thing I hope to be doing the rest of it, writing, but I’ll come clean, I haven’t been able to write since quitting my job.  I, instead chose to spend it with one of my favorite people, Jane Austen.  I completed my “One New Movie-a-Week” Challenge last week with Rise of the Skywalker, but I thought it might be a nice motivator to watch a movie, a world I want to be a part of, instead.  I had not seen the film Love and Friendship, based on the novella, Lady Susan, and while I’ll have more to say on it in my next post about my movie challenge, it got me thinking about my own writing.  So at least there’s that.

I nearly finished my Goodreads reading challenge of 12 books, a despicably low number, I know.  I kept seeing these posts that if you want to be a writer and don’t make the time to read you can’t really be a writer.  I was a much better reader a few years ago when my schedule permitted me to do things in a particular order.  Now, I’m trying to implement that old schedule into my new daily routine.  When I realized the end of the year was nigh and I wasn’t going to make my goal, I had to reevaluate a few things.

In that reevaluation was the thought that maybe I had set myself up for failure by expecting too much of myself throughout the year.  I already knew the job was not allowing me to accomplish much, so achieving some of those goals was always going to be difficult, if not impossible.  While I did complete a few of the tasks I had set out to do, like attending my first screenwriter’s conference, others, like the reading challenge, fell by the wayside.  How could I possibly expect so much when days, weeks, and even months passed without a glance towards my passions?

I have to look at this year’s goal setting a bit differently.  Remember, I don’t like resolutions, and I don’t think January 1st is a magic reset button, but it is an unavoidable marker for moving forward and starting anew.  The outside world has dates and seasons for meeting goals, and a new year puts much of that into perspective.  But there are things that I continue to carry over each year that I want to do that, while time consuming, are still worthy goals to pursue.  It’s just going to take some patience and clever maneuvering, and not be at the forefront while more pressing matters are attended to.

What do you want to accomplish this year?  How will you set out to ensure you reach that goal?

set and reach goal concept

Here’s one of my favorite goal setting images for inspiration.  Now let’s go crush 2020!

The Passing of Another Year

Posted in Posts by

goodbyeGoodbye, 2017.

You were among my favorites of the past decade, and although I will be sad to see you go, I’m looking forward to what the new you will bring.  Each new year is like a new Doctor (from Doctor Who) – same old thing under a new coat of paint.

I didn’t accomplish all the goals I set for myself (I didn’t even come close with some of them), but that just means I’ll have to reevaluate them for the new year.  As I’ve mentioned a time or two before, I don’t care for resolutions.  I’ve set a number of goals throughout the year and made more headway because I believe you can make changes, reach for your dreams, and achieve anything you want any time of the year.

The mark of a new year only makes the goal setting easier as a jumping off point.

I like to start a new year doing something I enjoy as a way of marking the occasion in positive manner.  I have to work tonight, but it’s my plan to come home and write, even if just for a little while.

You may laugh, seeing that my blog has been so ignored these past few months, but I have been writing, I swear.  Cullen&WardenClick here to see how my Dragon Age obsession is working its magic. 😉  This is a non-canonical story that I didn’t even plot out and it’s currently sitting at 31k words.  Seriously.  And what’s worse (or not) is that I’m probably only about half way done.  ((giggles wildly))  It’s all this picture’s fault, by the way. –>

I had planned on doing a “looking back” post, but Facebook is great at reminding us of where we were a year or seven ago, and a new year is about looking forward.  It’s nice to be reminded of our victories and our defeats as they can compel us to strive for better, for more, and we shouldn’t forget them, but we shouldn’t linger on them either.  Unlike the Doctor, we can’t go back in time and change events, and really, all those little things, good and bad, make us who we are with our own unique perspective.

I try to be positive here, and although my Quote Mondays have been rather sparse, most of them are about chasing your dreams, making each day count, blah blah blah, etc.. but I mean each and every one. 😉 Each new day is an opportunity, and a new year offers us a bigger canvas.  So make big goals, the kind that would make you laugh were you to accomplish them.  Make little ones that will help you get closer to that big one.

Just keep dreaming!  Keep reaching!

So, hello, 2018!
Hello

I hope you’re a good one!

Happy New Year, my friends!

Have fun and be safe and see you next year!

xx, Rach

Happy New Year

Posted in Posts by

BigBenNewYear

As another year draws to a close, we tend to look back and reflect on all that occurred with a mixture of pleasure and regret.  The only thing we can do is look to the future and make it better.

Set goals for this new year and reach for your dreams!

I want to thank you all for your continued support this year and look forward to sharing a whole new year with you!  I wish you all a very safe and Happy New Year!

xo, Rach

Goodbye 2014

Posted in Posts by

BigBenNewYearI am completely taken aback that another year has come to a close.  How does this keep happening?  And why does time continue to go by faster and faster?  It’s not like I’m having so much fun that time is flying by.  😉

I had started thinking about doing a year in review type thing, but because I’m not one for making resolutions (I think change can happen anytime you want it to and I am all for making goals throughout the year) why would I bookmark the end of the year when there are still so many things going on?

What the New Year does tell me is that I’m this much closer to a scary birthday.  (Insert sob)  Spring tells me it’s time to get my writing in order (again…still) because it’s time to send out the scripts for contests and for pilot/hiring season.

Seriously, where has the time gone?  2015?!  I know everyone will be saying this, but gracious…I’m still in a state of awe.

So Happy New Year, my friends!  I wish for you a year full of dreams, goals, possibilities, and doing what we love – I look forward to seeing what we are all able to accomplish.  Be safe as you enjoy ringing in the New Year with friends and loved ones.

Best wishes!

xx, Rach

*Sorry this is on the short side, but technically I’m supposed to be working. 🙂