I normally write this post before the end of the year, but holidays with young children and lots of family and travel make it so I can’t do much at the end of the day besides consume cookies and chocolate.

And so, here we are, finally a small moment to do the goal thing on New Year’s Day 2025.

First, to reflect on last year. How did I do on my 2024 goals?

Things I did that I said I’d do: found a new massage therapist, finished drafting my dark academia (though in doing so, changed it from YA to adult), drafted a new YA thriller, started drafting something else, committed to monthly date nights, got into audiobooks, went on vacation, took seasonal childless weekend trips, published my debut novel! (and yes, every single and friend and family member who asked over the holidays: it’s doing well!), found a new dermatologist, hung 26 pieces of art on the walls of my house, and actually [good publishing news redacted until I’m allowed to announce it]!

Things I said I’d do that I did not do: journal again very much, post to social media as much as I said I would, draft an additional adult thriller, get a personal trainer, paint my walls, read 50 books (I made it to 39).

Other things I did: Finally found the perfect carpet for my very narrow hallway, also found the perfect candlesticks for my dining room, spent 1,118 hours writing, made THREE (so far!) foreign rights deals for my debut, also sold my debut to [REDACTED], made some really good progress with my mental health, visited the Met and Moma again, learned how to properly cook tofu, finally got a tiny Christmas tree for my bedroom, got a breadmaker (though I have yet to actually make bread.)

Not bad, IMO!

In 2025, I would like to:

1. Journal weekly. Yes, I’m putting it here again in the hopes that this will be the year I get back into journaling.
2. Find a personal trainer. Putting this here again, too!
3. Read 50 books. And this!
4. Paint our rooms. And this!
5. Leave the country. I used to travel outside the US every year. Since kids, I haven’t left the country once. Sad! But we’ve finally renewed our passports, so hoping this will be the year we finally cross some borders as a family.
6. Biweekly date nights and bimonthly getaway weekends. It really, really helps when you have little kids to spend one-on-one time with your partner, and I want to do even more of this next year.
7. Commit to sending out this newsletter weekly. This will be the first year I don’t make Instagram or Twitter-related goals. Instead, this newsletter is gonna be my new social media commitment. In theory. We’ll see how it goes.
8. Start a family gallery wall. I really want of those black-and-white ones that go up the stairs that have ancestors as well as current photos of the fam. This will be a lot of work, I’m sure, which is why starting is the operative word here.
9. Start a small garden. Small being the operative word here.
10. Hostess once a month. I get nervous about it, but I really do love having people over. I want to be more chill about it and do it more often.
11. Organize the basement. At least, make it a little bit more organized than it is now.
12. Monthly friend date nights. Something I’ve wanted to do for awhile.
13. Spend 1000 hours outside. How doable is this? Let’s see!
14. Write to my reps weekly. Out: ranting about the atrocities our government commits on social media. In: ranting about the atrocities our government commits directly to those who govern.
15. Walk 70K steps a week. Imma do it this year. You’ll see.
16. Use the gift certificates in my wallet. A silly one, maybe, but I’m tired of hauling around a dozen gift cards and forgetting to use them. This will be the year I use them!
17. Make moves to live a more sustainable life: Some things on my list: switching to compostable garbage bags, reusable party plates, using Amazon as little as possible, buying local and used whenever possible. And then sharing my sustainability efforts here, in the hopes they may inspire others.
18. Floss every day. I’m so bad at this.
19. Eat more protein. Aiming for 50 grams a day. Difficult as a vegetarian, yes, but not impossible with the aforementioned meal planning.
20. Reach out to a local bookstore once a month to do a signing. A discovery I made this year: I am really good at hand-selling my book. I sold out of books every time I did an event this year, whether I knew people coming or not. The hardest part about scheduling new signings is getting overworked bookstore employees to get back to you, but I’m going to keep reaching out anyway.
21. Text a friend once a day. I want to be better at keeping in touch with faraway friends.
22. Get to bed by 11 every night. Book in front of me, phone down, actually in bed. Every night!
23. Draft a new YA thriller (and then sell it!)
24. Draft a new adult thriller!
25. And yes, this is a little beyond my control, but putting it out there: sell an adult thriller this year!

Those are my New Year’s resolutions. What are yours?

_________

Current:

Read: The Dividing Sky by Jill Tew. Excellent; go read it.

Watch: Outlander, obviously

Listen: Jingle Bells on repeat until my toddler gets tired of it (which will be soon, yes? yes?)

Eat: Leftover chocolates and cheese. (The new meal plan will start next week.)

Project: Almost done with revisions on YA thriller two. ALMOST!

Tiny thing I am doing to improve the world: Start this category of tiny thing to improve the world, and aim to add to it every time I send out a newsletter!