(Insert New Year's Inspired Post Here)

As per usual, I expect this will never be read by anybody except myself, and I'm happy to have it stay that way. If you've stumbled here, be ready for random thoughts and concerns.



So it is officially 2015.  Huzzah! And not a moment too soon! 2014 was a fine enough year, but I'm ready for a clean slate. That's exactly what I'm going to pretend that today is. The start of a clean slate.





What that means for me, is that I'm going to start this year with a bang. Some of the things I will be doing, I'm convinced I will not end up doing to completion, but some of them, I am dead-set on maintaining. The first of these is my health and fitness. For two years I have slid down on my fitness regime until last year it became non-existent. This morning, I started the year with a 45 min workout session that smashed me completely (it was 30C! ugh!). I then finished it off with a lovely protein shake. 

View expectations Here

My diet for the next week will be these shakes and one main meal (meat and veg only). That way it'll kick start my metabolism (as it is designed this way specifically) and then I'll just maintain the shakes between main meals. I'm looking forward to this! As it means I have less ability to backslide. My main concern every week is that I get too bored with raw veggies and rice crackers. By Wednesday, I decide that it will be an eat-out day, at work, and fail to have my snacks. If I have one of these containers on my desk, the likelihood of this happening will be nil. Not to mention, I have a heap of support from some of my workmates. So for a few months, this will be me.

The second thing I have challenged myself to this year is in regards to my time with friends. I have a bad habit of not talking or seeing my friends throughout the year. We always catch up and say, "Let's do this again soon!" But then it never happens. So this year, my goal is to at least attempt to stay in contact. Whether that be through commenting on Facebook, sending texts frequently or actually setting a date and time to see each, I want to make an effort to do it. They deserve more effort from my part. Although, being an adult sucks in this regard. We are all our own worst enemies. With backing out due to sickness (mainly of babies) or just not having time (weekends are for housework, but they're also our only days off! hah), we make plans and then end 'em. Ughh.

Where did that sign come from?

My third point is in regards to my writing. The challenge I have set myself is to be a paid writer by the end of the year. Even if that means I have only been published in a small magazine or website, I do not care. The point is that it is high time I step that much closer to my dream. I know the tragedy is that there are many in my shoes. Talented writers that have still not reaped the success of the JK Rowlings or Stephanie Meyers. I am not saying that I'm as good as JK or worse than Meyers (ughh, I still detest those books), but both sent their books out to be published to over 10 companies and both got turned down until finally someone picked them up. Rejection is just a part of the business. It's how you deal with that that defines you. 

Part of this third point is going to be regularly writing on here. Whether it be about my progress or lack thereof. I have to write for 10 minutes every day here. Hopefully my ipad app will work properly again soon, which will make the process so much easier, as I will be able to write on my trip to or from work.

Also, lastly, but definitely not least, I will be working on my original manuscript again. I'm going to give my book a complete overhaul. Last year, I learned a thing or two about how to polish my stories a bit more. 

I competed in the yearly Flash Fiction Challenge on NYC Midnight. It was a great experience, which I'm going to duplicate this year in the Short Story Competition and again the Flash Fiction later. It helped to teach me about how to second guess myself. Parts that I loved from my stories generally were cut to make for a better story, and that's what I need to do with my book. Over the next few months, I'm going to take a chapter at a time and remove the parts that add no value to the story, and find a way to add more to it, as well.

Words to live by.

Feedback I received from my book last year was that the fourth act was hard to read and even harder to enjoy. Also was told that it felt more like the movie version of a great book that was written, which means, I spent no effort in developing my characters or their setting. This will hopefully be fixed in the rewrite.

I'm feeling pretty confident that I can achieve some awesome things this year, and hopefully all of that will be recorded here. If not recorded, hopefully just realised. Welcome, 2015! May you bring good fortune and success!