At the end of 2025, I burned out hard. I took 10 days off before my body and mind forced me to take a rest (this latter is always the worse option). Honestly, I could use another couple of weeks of doing nothing. Not going to happen. However, I do feel a lot better, calmer, and more ready to face the work world again.
So, 2026. I don’t do resolutions. I haven’t for years. I usually don’t do yearly themes. I’ve never needed them. But, I think this year, I do. My theme for 2026 is “Be present for yourself.” I spent a lot of the last couple of years working for/looking out for other people. I’ve made attempts to keep myself in mind, but *I* was always the easiest ball to drop when things got hectic. My writing goals, my physical goals, my wants/wishes/needs.
I’ve got to figure out how to stop putting myself last. It’s getting me in trouble. My novel, Shadowrun: Imre Grey, isn’t done and it should be. I’m barely holding onto my diet goals, and my movement goals are down to squats and wall pushups in-between other things. Thus, I guess that means I need to actually, physically, schedule movement into my week.
The other thing I am going to do is plan in quarters this year. I’ve been doing this for a long time in my head, but not on paper. This time, in order to be more present in my own life, I need to stop looking so far ahead that I can’t see the deadlines in front of my face.
1st Quarter (Jan-Feb-Mar). In addition to keeping my CGL lines running, I have two main projects:
- Write and turn in Shadowrun: Imre Grey.
- Get Titanskeep into a single document format.
2nd Quarter (Apr-May-Jun). In addition to keeping my CGL lines running, I have a single project focus:
- Get Industry Talk Revised (15 Years Later) done, and set its release date.
I will worry about the 3rd and 4th quarters when I get there. Especially since convention season really starts in June.
* * *
On the Homefront, I have three new specific desires this year: Daily Journal, Comfort Reading, and Tranquil Thursdays.
- Daily Journal. From 2018 through 2022, I kept a handwritten 5-year “a line a day” type of daily journal. A lot happened during that five year period—including the deaths of both my parents and the Covid19 pandemic. It’s now been three years since I’ve done any handwritten journaling. I miss it. I also miss the year-over-year perspective. Perspective is a beautiful thing, especially in these trying times. Also, I think a lot more is going to happen in the next five years that I’ll want to keep in mind.
- Comfort Reading. Last year was the year of “unfinished books.” It was a good exercise to go back and see if I put those books down because of me or because of them. Mostly it was me and what had happened in my life. A couple though, it was most definitely them, and I put them down for good. (Life is too short to force yourself to read books you don’t gel with.) This year I want comfort reading. I want stories that I already know or I know will make me laugh. That means a start-to-finish re-read of the entire October Daye series by Seanan McGuire. Book 20 comes out this year, and it is one of my favorite series. Also, I want to finally read the Iron Druid series by Kevin Hearne since his Iron Druid short fiction is so good. This doesn’t mean I won’t read other stuff. It just means 2026 is the Year of Comfort Reading.
- Tranquil Thursdays. In 2025, I started a “no internet/work on Sundays” habit to help with my chronic overuse of the internet. It was very helpful for my sanity, and I intend to keep this as a rule. On my birthday in 2025, I gave myself the gift of “no email or meetings” on that day. It was so pleasant that I’m instituting Tranquil Thursdays: “a day of no email or meetings” for 2026 to see if it helps me get some deep focus work done.
That’s the plan for 2026: Quarterly project goals and showing up for myself more. As always, I will keep track of my metrics. (If you would like a copy of my blank 2026 Freelancer Summary document, contact me. I will send it to you.)
