Growing Pains

This has been one hell of a year. Looking back on it all, 2018 very much felt like three years crammed into one. There were victories, set backs, hours upon hours of tedious work, deadline after deadline, sleepless nights, and more than one week of dozing off at 3 in the afternoon. I forgot there were Olympics this year.

Every year I set myself up with a lot of impossible goals. I am usually lucky to meet one or two of them. I don’t really share these goals because these are my high aspirations, and the let down is too much to share. However, I have made it a point to sit down, and look at the year in review, to remember what I have achieved, what I accomplished, so that I remember to cut my all too human self a break. And this year saw some monstrously awesome moments which will bear fruit in 2019.

Professional Accomplishments:

• Published 4 short stories in various anthologies.
• Zombies vs Aliens was adapted into an Interactive Game by Chapters!
• Wrote dozens and dozens of short stories
• FINISHED WRITING EDGEWISE
• Signed with Sky Forest Press for Ragnarok Unwound, which debuts in 8 days, eeeeeee!
• Signed with Parliament House Press for Marrow Charm (Fall 2019)
• Attended Wattcon and Bookcon!
• Finished Nanowrimo!
• Expanded my content creation horizons
• And I know there is stuff I am forgetting but I am wine drunk and proud of myself.

Personal Accomplishments:

Just as important as the professional, were the things I did for myself and my family.

• Got myself into therapy for the first time in over a decade. This was a long time coming and greatly needed to help balance my mental health. I’ve seen myself greatly improved by how I deal with stress and anxiety from when I start in the first part of 2018.
• Set up ABA services for my boys. This was nearly a year long process. I made great strides to get more services in general for my kids. And I’ve only scratched the surface. I still have a heap load more to tackle but this was a big one and we are finally seeing the benefits now.
• Took more chances doing things I love. This ties into my professional somewhat. I’ve put myself out there more this year and it’s paid off.
• I finally learned how to use a planner. This is a big deal for me, okay?

Things I Learned about Myself

• I’m not good at regular blogging. *shrug*
• It’s okay to hermit and lose myself in a game for a couple days. I still remember to adult. And the mental break is a blessing.
• I am not good at lists. We all have our faults.
• My internet friends may be far away, but they mean the world to me.

Goals for 2019

I always set some pretty lofty personal goals, but my not so personal:

• Write at least 444 words a day ( How is that for specific word goals?)
• Finish some sequels
• Write stories I love
• Find time to breathe