Year End Roundup

The Power of Writing

The first step in the year-end roundup is to write. Do you write down your thoughts of the last year? What was good, bad, achieved? What could have been better or received more attention? I’m a believer in journaling and how it helps organize and clarify our thoughts.

What about objectives for the coming year? Don’t go crazy, one or two things is fine. You can break those down into a few smaller ones.

Objectives

I plan on publishing in 2022. So review (for the 37th time!), copyedit, proofread and cover. And some sort of marketing plan. Nothing overwhelming, don’t get all crazy.

I also want to go back to mindset blogs more. I have a lot of ideas to share. More and more I realize that mental fortitude is key. It all begins there. With an idea and a sketch of a plan.

The newsletter must be revived. I’m not down on myself here. I’m just going to assess and move forward. There’s no point is constantly looking back and thinking how it could have been. There was no content. And I want it content specific, namely how the publishing process is going and what I’ve learned along the way. Anything detailed will be a blog. But sign up below right now, it’s once a month. No spamming, no selling lists.

So the mindset comes first. Not to send that energy outwards, not right away. But, first of all, to tell yourself, set your mind. Convince your innermost self. Make sure you’re sure. Because if you’re trying to reach an objective that you don’t even truly believe in, how can that work?

Concerns

As the year closes, I’m preoccupied by the increase in the cost of living. No, it’s not your imagination, prices have increased. And when they haven’t sizes have shrunk.

I’m fortunate enough to not be in dire straits. But it’s a worry, as I see people around me and online friends feeling the crunch. And no it’s not your imagination, food prices have increased. Canadian stats show a 3-5% increase. The USDA puts the average increase at 3.6%.

Then there’s Covid. Another curve ball. Will store access be restricted? Getting around harder? Will school be online? For how long? Coping with the unexpected in life is stressful. When it’s unexpected and not limited to one area of life, it wears you down.

Outlook

I guess my desire to blog more on mindset, comes from what I’ve said above and the profound belief that if you have the right mindset you can overcome anything. Albeit sometimes this can be awful and you need help. But I won’t dwell on tragedy, and may that never happen.

But do look to the New Year with clear intentions. Write them down. Read them often. More than ever, we’ve realized material gains are nice, but being psychologically strong, for yourself, and those around you, is key. One you’ve got that, the rest is so readily achievable.

And don’t forget to count your blessings (as my mother would say). We already have so much and we take it for granted. Things like clean water, indoor plumbing, a place to live, access to health care.

There’s a balance between gratitude and wanting more. Certainly wallowing in gratitude isn’t motivating. We have all this, why strive for anything else? If that were the case we’d still be in our caves, grateful we don’t have to live outside, at the mercy of the elements and wild creatures.

On the other hand, you don’t want to live in a constant state of lack, of wanting, with the mindset that life is only going to be satisfactory at some point in the future when you’ve achieved your objective.

So enjoy where you are, and look ahead with optimism and faith. I wish you all good things in 2022. Blessings and Joy.