January Musings

Much as it sometimes pains me to say it, I'm no longer really the kind of person that sets goals... if I ever was, that is. People that talk to me one-to-one on even a semi-regular basis hear this all the time from me, but I don't have this innate urge other people seem to have to "do something with my life" or "make something of myself". I don't particularly like being busy or having a lot to do. I'm not a big fan of attention or of knowing that others are counting on me either. If I didn't have to worry about earning money, I wouldn't even have a job or care much about getting anywhere practical with my writing.

I know how sad that sounds, but... that's me. I'm simple. I'm low-maintenance. There isn't a whole lot I need in order to be happy beyond the basics. All that said, I'm a hard person to motivate. I really do have to just have to decide I'm ready to do things in my own good time. That's exactly why New Year's resolutions aren't a huge thing for me. However, I do kind of like to touch base with myself at some point during the month of January anyway, the better to think about what's been working for me and what hasn't.

Despite not ever having made any concrete plans to do so, I actually accomplished quite a bit in 2014, especially considering how stagnant I've felt for years now.

• I still can't stand copywriting and still don't see it as a permanent part of my future as writer, but I made some changes this past year that made work suck a hell of a lot less. To be more specific, I decided to raise my base prices so that they were even with what my highest-paying client was paying me at the time. Then I replaced everyone that wasn't willing to comply with the price hike. That said, while I still have to write copy and web content for a living for now, I've been able to drastically reduce the amount of time I spend doing it -- next best thing!

• Once I fixed my schedule and reduced my workload, I actually found I had at least a little extra creative energy to work with. I've been feeling my long-stagnant creativity making the occasional brief appearance as well. I might not have followed through with NaNoWriMo, but I did complete a short story and something like... three poems regardless. I actually sketched a little bit, although I have yet to finish anything major. I cooked more. I blogged more. Like I said, it wasn't much, but it was a hell of a lot more than I've done in a while.

• I lost quite a bit of weight -- around 60 pounds or so. I've been feeling a lot better health-wise as a result. I've also been sticking with the healthier eating habits Seth and I established together way back in July.

• I've been working hard to reestablish and maintain more of a spiritual life -- not something that seems to be of value to many people these days, but still means a great deal to me. I've been reading and studying the Bible daily, as well as praying daily. It's been helping me immensely, especially when it comes to the persistent feelings of depression and worthlessness I've been dealing with in recent years. 

• I've somehow (without really meaning to) gotten back into the habit of reading on a regular basis. I didn't meet my yearly Goodreads goal of 50 books, but I came really, really close instead of coming in pitifully behind as usual. Plus, I'm already maybe two books or so ahead in regards to this year's challenge. I've been reading a lot of magazines as well, so I actually know a thing or two about what's going on in current events, food trends, fashion trends, and music for the first time in a long time.

This year, I'd like to keep building on some of that progress and take it all to the next level if I can. I'd like to continue with all the reading and learning, as that's something that's greatly enriched my life over the past year or so. I want to maintain my weight loss, as well as lose more weight. Sooner or later, I'd like to buy a manual treadmill or something similar that I can use to reestablish a relaxed exercise routine. I sometimes get restless in the evenings or early afternoons and feel like I'd like to exercise a bit, but don't necessarily want to leave the house to go on an actual walk. An inexpensive treadmill would be a perfect solution and a good investment to make in our continued good health.

I'd like to maybe clean up some of my personal spaces and make them nice places to be again. I'd like to build on the good care I've been taking of my body lately and take better care of my hair and skin, too. I want to draw more and do more creative writing -- not necessarily with any intention to publish at this point, but just for myself. I'd like to cook more. I'd like to make it a point to take more pictures. It doesn't sound like much, really, but all of this would be a vast improvement for me at this point. I would even dare say I feel excited about a lot of it.