2024 was a rough year in many ways, but overall I have to say I'm pretty happy with how it shook out. Personally, I had more ups than downs, and these days focusing on my day-to-day is how I keep things positive. I'm going into 2025 with a few goals—one might even call them resolutions—in mind.
Writing
My plan for 2024 was to revise my novel and do some research on self-publishing. I did both those things. I've never edited a novel before, and it was definitely a learning experience. I had a lot of fun removing scenes I didn't love and adding scenes that provided context and character development.
I sent the new version to Elizabeth, and a few days later had a bit of an epiphany about the ending. I rewrote the last chapter, and I think the novel is as close to finished as it can be at this stage. Are there still things I want to improve on? Of course! But at this point, I'm pretty happy with the story itself.
As for my research into self-publishing, it seems most people who see any kind of success release a book a month via KDP, and I'm just not that kind of writer. But I have learned some valuable insights, and one of the major takeaways is that a backlog is pretty necessary if you want to gain any sort of traction. That information is going to inform one of my 2025 goals.
Reading
I read so much this year! My total for the year was 29 books, and some of what I read wasn't just mindless pulp.
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| I'm missing some covers but you get the gist. |
I wanted so badly for reading to become a go-to hobby for me again, and this year I felt a shift where it was easier to pick up a book and focus for long periods of time. I even binged a heft fantasy series, reading 1200+ pages in about a week. I haven't done that in years!
This year I still relied on accessible series (particularly the mystery series I've been reading) to dig me out of reading ruts, but I also read some horror and sci-fi. I'm very happy with where my relationship with reading is these days.
Running/fitness
This was a weird year for running. Because of some health issues I was having, I fell off the wagon a bit, and I replaced running with weightlifting at the gym. I'm now in a place where I don't feel like running, but every time I do run, I enjoy it. I miss wanting to run, but I couldn't seem to commit myself to getting up early enough to make it happen this year, so it fell by the wayside.
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| Of my last 10 workouts of 2024, only one was a run. (And one was the NYE walk to the bar!) |
I replaced a lot of running with hiking and walking with friends, too, which I can't complain about at all. It's so funny that I started this year contemplating running a full marathon and ended the year totally uninterested in any run longer than 3 miles.
This year I did run my first international race, so that warrants a mention!
Personal
This year was heavy in new experiences! Matt and I went to Victoria, BC and Hawaii. My sister visited Seattle for the first time, and so did my college roommate Lauren. I went on my first hike without Matt (with a friend).
Matt and I celebrated our 14th wedding anniversary. Matt worked on Thanksgiving and Christmas, so we spent both holidays at the station.
I started a new job and, at the end of the year, I made a trip home to Florida and got to see my dad, brother, and niblings for the first time in 2 years.
This year was filled with new experiences and lots of growth. Mostly, it was notable how much happier and more settled I've felt. I love the little life Matt and I are creating here.
2025
Looking ahead, I have three main goals for 2025.
1. Finish writing two books. One is nearly done and just needs the last five chapters knocked out. It's been languishing for awhile and will need significant revisions, but it needs to be finished first. The second book I've only just started, but if I write every day, I think I can complete it in a year.
This goal is meant to set a foundation for the future, because ideally, I'd like to have three novels ready to self-publish fairly close together sometime in 2026.
2. Stick to my fitness goals. My sister and I are still committed to being in our best shapes by 40, and for me, that's now only 13 months away. I am going to continue what I've been doing and dedicate myself to achieving this goal.
This means continuing my work in the gym, prioritizing protein, and maybe finding a way to make running work for me again. I do actually feel that despite running much less, I am being more consistent with workouts, and my mindset is in a place it's never been before, where fitness is no longer a choice...it's almost become a habit.
3. Replace mindless doomscrolling with reading. I don't have a set number of books I'd like to read this year, but I would like to spend less time on social media. Hopefully reaching for a book instead of logging into Instagram for the 80th time each day will be good for me! I'm even considering using one of those apps that locks you out after a set amount of time spent on socials.
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| Here's to 2025! |
I'm sure 2025 is going to have its deep, cavernous pits of despair, but I am looking forward to focusing on things I can control—my circle of influence, if you will. As long as I do that, I think 2025 will be a pretty good year.
Ali
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