Yesterday was my birthday. I mention this because it's another year under my belt, another year that's finished and done. Like the previous year, it feels like it wasn't a very good year.
I suppose that's a common feeling as we get older. We set ambitious goals for ourselves, and when they don't materialize, we feel like we've failed. But maybe what we've failed to do is to set realistic expectations for ourselves, especially in the unsettled times in which we're all living.
I haven't been writing anywhere near as much as I'd wanted, and what I've written keeps getting sent to the "Ugh!" pile. So, my new goal is to sift through the pile, and pick out the work that has actual potential. There's more there than I expected, and I'm planning to pick one or two things to revisit, revise, and hopefully send off into the big, wide world. A realistic goal, and even if I just settle for one thing, it's far better than staring at the "Ugh!" pile and deciding I'm washed up.
I'm also going to look at all the books I read this year, and see if I can choose my top five. It might be hard to narrow it down to just five, but that's a goal I don't mind not meeting, should I win up with a top seven, or eight.
Comments