Happy New Year everyone! I hope that however 2024 treated you, that 2025 brings new opportunities, new chances for success and happiness, and plenty of opportunities to enjoy life!
Reflections on 2024
2024 was a. . .complicated year for me, getting displaced from of job that I had worked for nearly 11 years which led to a seemingly interminable job search, and quest to keep my mental health afloat through all of that. On the other side, I have made some strides in therapy and on my journey to come to terms with my too long undiagnosed and untreated ADHD, and depression that was far deeper and more prevalent than I had let myself realize. I still have a long way to go in 2025 and a lot of ground still to cover. I have also finally gotten a new job which I will be starting next Monday, so I am excited for the new adventure.
On the writing front, I started the year making good progress on my third book, When Gods do Meddle, but with everything else going on, I fell out of the habit of writing for some time. I also started the year making regular videos for my Youtube channel, but that also fell by the wayside with only my weekly reading of my first book happening regularly. As part of my journey, I realized just how little work and effort I had actually put into my website or advertising myself, so I did make an effort and significantly improve and re-design this website, and make more strides in promoting myself. There is a lot of work left to do, but I feel like I am making regular steps in the right direction, even if some of them are small ones.
In terms of writing, I have yet to get back to fully working on my third book, but I have gotten into the habit of doing Daily Writing Prompts, and have done so every day since November 12th (except for Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas). Some of them I have had a lot of fun with, and I am feeling eager and engaged in writing for the first time in a while, and a few of the stories I might well flesh out or revisit in the future, with some of the fantasy and science fiction exercises exploring idea to be included in later works in my fantasy series and in a science fiction series I have had mulling around in my head for quite some time. This is perhaps the progress I am most pleased with in the last few weeks and I am working to maintain this momentum going into 2025.
Onward to 2025
I am not really one for resolutions or goals, as I feel those often establish too rigid yardsticks for accomplishment that I often turn into tools to criticize myself, and does not allow for the flexibility of life.
I will, however, put forth some intentions for the year:
– I intend to keep up the writing habit I am beginning to pick up again.
– I intend to do regular (perhaps even weekly) hikes, when weather allows (this will likely not start till spring), and generally be more active and get out in nature.
– I intend to continue my journey toward better mental health and better coping skills for my Anxiety, Depression, and ADHD.
– I intend to take better care of my physical health: eating healthier and more reasonable portions, moving more, stretching more, and sleeping more.
– I intend to spend more time with friends, connecting with people, and doing things that I enjoy
– I intend to keep working on my website, my youtube channel, and getting my name out into the world.
I hope that you are all able to realize whatever intentions you have for yourself, and that we, all of us together, have an amazing year ahead. I would love to hear some of your own intentions if you want to leave a comment. I would also appreciate you following my website and checking out my books and other sites, linked below.
Once more, Happy New Year and lets rock our 2025!
– Jon
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