How is your WOTY treating you so far?

We’re over half way through the month and I just realized this is my first post for 2019. I’m slacking already…but in my defense, I’ve been busy revising. Book #5 in the Jorja Matthews mystery series is being reviewed and tweaked so that it’ll be ready for a scheduled professional edit next month.

Another book finally complete!

I’ll soon have eight books under my belt, but I’m itching to publish more. While the past few novels of the Jorja Matthews series has taken longer to write, one of my goals this year is to write and publish more often. I won’t likely publish more than one Jorja book a year, but I hope to write and publish more often when it comes to short stories along with some stand-alone novels in the mix.

We’re moving into week 4 out of 52…which still leaves plenty of time to make that happen.

So, did you choose a word of the year for 2019?

There are many who take the time to choose a word to help guide them throughout the year. Last year, my word was Faith. I chose it because I knew I had to have faith in myself while I moved ahead in my first year working and writing from home after leaving the day job.

Not only did I have to have faith in myself, I had to continue to have faith in what was to come, faith in the possibilities, faith that all would be well, and faith after letting go and giving up the need to control everything (although I’ll admit it’s still a WIP).

There were some growing pains as I forged ahead with a new schedule and other changes, but I did what I could to remember to have faith in the process and to resist the need to push or pull whenever something happened that I thought I should control. That left me better able to focus on the moment, learn from it and then move forward.

This year, my word for the year is Fearless. I chose this word because I like that it describes the ability to be fearless, or brave, as I continue to work toward my goals and also to fear less the possibility of unidentified hurdles. I don’t wish to fear anything; I wish to only look forward to the future feeling encouraged and inspired. I will fear less the prospect of change and will be fearless in the pursuit of what will continue to encourage and inspire me in mind, body and spirit.

In reviewing what I wrote to myself at the end of 2018, I realize it’s really not specific to any year, but to the rest of my life:

Continue to focus on today, but with the knowledge that what you do, or don’t do, will have a big impact on where you want to be a year from now, or five years from now. It is a journey, with no true destination, so stay on the path and know that each accomplishment will continue to build the life you are striving for.

This time last year I was uncertain of what to expect and while I was excited, I was also a bit anxious. This year I’m more aware of what to anticipate, I’ve learned from the past year and I’ve even more excited about the coming year. I guess that’s why I decided to choose Fearless as my word of the year…I feel unafraid now, but I needed to commit to a word that will remind me to remain brave should I slip on any doubts that may come my way.

Until next time…

Carry on and be courageous!