Happy Neuter! (An old family joke from my niece’s childhood attempt to say Happy New Year)

Hubs and I had a fabulous time at our senior prom on New Year’s Eve! Our community hosted a New Year’s Eve party that transformed the ballroom into a prom-worthy dream of white and silver, and we danced the night away to the Rumrunners, an excellent Las Vegas blues & pretty-much-everything-else band. I even treated myself to a sparkly dress for the occasion!

Just about everyone I know in the #WritingCommunity is posting goals and such for 2023. I’ve been alive long enough to know that…how does the old Yiddish saying go? “Man plans and God laughs.”

I won’t bore you with the details, as I’m sure you’ve been dealing with your own unplanned obstacles. Let’s just say that, starting in 2020, I’ve been scrambling over one obstacle after another, most having to do with family members’ health. Pretty hard to stick to a writing or marketing plan when someone you love needs your full attention.

So this year, I’m keeping it simple. Two focus words, one for my professional life, and one for my personal life.

On the professional front, it’s high time I learned the MARKETING angle of indie publishing. I released my first indie-published book in 2020, and my approach to book-pushing has been pretty slap-dash, with next to zero recordkeeping or data analysis. Okay, I’ll admit it–the prospect of spreadsheets makes me want to heave. But it must be done, and if I’ve handled the challenges of these past three years, I can handle a spreadsheet or two. Or six. Ugh.

Helping my mom through her final decline and passing has really slammed home the message that we just don’t know how many more good days we’ll have, so my goal in 2023 is to maximize the FUN! Hubs and I are both healthy at the moment, our finances are okay, and it’s high time to enjoy the opportunities that come our way. More travel, more socializing, more concerts, more fun stuff outside of the daily grind. Life is a gift, and we’re meant to enjoy it–every precious moment.

How about you? Do you set detailed New Year’s resolutions? Set a focus word or two? Ignore the whole thing because calendar time is an artifical construct? I’d love to hear about your approach to the new year, so please leave a comment!