Hopes and Dreams for a New Year
January 2025 Newsletter
2024 - That’s a Wrap!
What a crazy year 2024 was! It truly was a season of growth and challenge for my husband and me, and as we turn the page to 2025, I’m praying for something different-maybe even a season of blessings. Or, honestly, just a quiet breather would be nice!
Reflecting on the goals that I set at the beginning of 2024, I’ll admit that it was a mix of achievement and learning to let go. My word of the year was surrender, and boy did I get a chance to practice that as my husband’s car accident changed a great many things for us. But through it all, we came out stronger, and that is what is important.
While I didn’t reach every goal, I am absolutely okay with that because 2024 also brought unexpected opportunities, like being invited to be a keynote speaker at a writing conference in March and taking a job with a small press as a book formatter. These opportunities stretched me, pushed me, and ultimately helped me level up my author career in ways I had never anticipated when I was preparing for 2024. I am very proud of myself for taking those brave steps, even when I didn’t necessarily feel like I would succeed at them.
One thing I am learning as I continue to set my yearly goals, is that it’s perfectly okay to not hit every single one. This new mindset has been freeing and has actually made me more productive and intentional. If I could encourage you in your goal setting, that is what I would want you to walk away with - give yourself permission to be flexible and prioritize what truly matters - even if it means you have to pivot from what you imagined your year would look like.
2024 In Review
When I look back at my goals for 2024, the list was relatively short, and while unintentional, my writing was largely set aside, and my goals were business focused. The Author Platform Roadmap was the only book I completed and released last year, and even that was not only about writing, but also about offering something of value to other authors.
Out of the eight goals, I completed five, missed three. And while in the past I would have seen the misses as imperfection, now I’m incredibly proud of what I did accomplish. Launching Kadesh Ink and releasing The Author Platform Roadmap were two major projects that required time, focus, and analytical thinking. Looking back, those two BIG wins made the year feel productive, even if some of the smaller goals had to be set aside.
And one of those “misses” actually turned into something unexpected and exciting-turns out I wouldn’t be able to enter AWG contest because I was invited to be a judge! While I won’t get to experience the contest as a writer, judging it is an amazing honor and opportunity!
2025 Here I Come!
With 2024’s achievements and lessons under my belt, I am diving into this year with renewed focus - this time, on writing! My goals are way more ambitious this year, and I am hoping to make great progress on some stories that I’ve had on my heart for a long time. From expanding my platform (and returning to my favorite platform, YouTube!), this year is all about creativity, connection, and embracing new opportunities.
What are your goals for 2025? I would love to hear about them and cheer you on!
Supporting These Audacious Goals!
If you’re anything like me, setting ambitious goals is easy - the real work is the journey to the finish line. Over the last few years, through much trial and error, I’ve discovered some methods that have helped me go from only achieving 1-2 goals a year, to hitting 50% or more!
Last month I talked about setting the foundation for achieving goals, but today I want to go a little deeper and talk about how I have learned to keep myself organized, motivated, and accountable - without feeling overwhelmed.
Breaking Down Goals with Trello
I made the graphics above to make my goals prettier to look at, but Trello is where all the magic actually happens. Trello allows me to create cards that are movable, and not only am I able to keep the master list of my yearly goals, but I am able to create separate lists for each quarter. This way I can break down each large goal into smaller steps and spread them out quarterly to keep myself from feeling overwhelmed by the project. This approach allows me to keep my momentum and allows me to track steady progress. It also allows me to adjust and pivot easily if I find I have over-extended myself, or if I am moving through my goals faster than I thought I would. You can view my Trello board for 2025 to see how I break everything down!
Sharing Quarterly Goal Updates
One of the most effective ways that I have found to keep myself accountable, is to share my quarterly goal updates on my YouTube channel. Each year begins with an outline of my “dreams and schemes” for the year, just like I did here. Then, at the end of each quarter, I check in with a new video and review the quarter and highlight the goals for the next. Even if no one cares, just putting it out there helps give me another layer of accountability and also lets me connect with other authors on their own journeys!
Celebrating Milestones
I talked about this in last month’s newsletter too, but it is absolutely worth mentioning again. Celebrating milestones, even small ones, is very important. If it’s all work, and no reward (unless the work is your reward), it makes the process like a chore. Rewarding myself with something simple, but meaningful- a new book, renting a movie, or taking myself out for lunch-can help keep me motivated. We show appreciation to others; there’s nothing wrong with showing appreciation to ourselves!
Staying Connected with the Writing Community
Having a great support system is invaluable - especially since writing is such a solitary endeavor most of the time. Staying in contact with other authors, whether it’s your local writers group or online groups and forums, can help keep you motivated and connected.
Focus on Momentum
While setting goals is important, I’ve found that when I constantly review them that it oftentimes creates pressure that slows me down. Instead, I focus on keeping momentum. Once my goals are set, I rarely review them until the end of the quarter. I already know what my big goals are, and the only focus I need to have at that time, are the small goals of that quarter. As long as I am making progress, I know I’m on the right track. This approach allows me to stay focused on the task at hand, rather than getting caught up in the outcome, or the weight of the big list.
A Few More Inklings
If you’re still setting your goals for the year, I just want to encourage you to be kind to yourself along the way. Whether you’re tackling larger projects, making time for inspiration, focusing on the business side of writing, or just maintaining what you’ve already accomplished, remember that every single step forward counts. I hope you have an amazing year of creativity and that you have a never-ending well of courage to keep going, even when the path isn’t perfect.
Thank you for joining me on this journey - I cannot tell you what a blessing it has been over the last few years as I have grown up in this amazing writing community - and I look forward to many more years of experiencing everything we are all building together as authors!
Have a Blessed and Happy New Year, and happy writing!
