We're just over three weeks away from 2025.
What's your year going to look like?
At this point, you've probably
got some idea of anything big on the horizon.
That could be something positive, like:
- A child (or grandchild!) on the way
- A new job that you'll be starting
- A degree or other
course of study
- A house move
Or it might be something more difficult, like:
- A family member who'll need increasing amounts of care
- Changes to your work that aren't what you
wanted
- Health difficulties that are likely to be ongoing
Whatever your exact situation, it's helpful to recognise the likely "shape" of your 2025. Of course, you won't know everything at this point ... but you can anticipate potential changes and challenges.
For us in 2025, my husband is going to be working full time hours (up from working 0.6 of full time). While a lot of his role can be done from home, this is also going to involve a couple of days away from home each week.
We have a 9 year old and an 11 year old, so 2025 is not, realistically, a year where I can work
full-time hours writing.
Perhaps you have a similar family situation, where your writing hours are limited by childcare/household needs or other caring requirements.
Fitting Writing Into Your 2025
Think about how writing might be able to fit into your year. At this stage, I'm not suggesting you set specific goals, but instead think about what might be possible.
Would you be able to have a consistent hour or two each week for writing? Or if it's hard to find an hour-long block of time, could you take 15 minutes to write during
most of your lunch breaks?
Over the next week or two, you might want to:
- Track your time using an app like Simple Time Tracker. I used this for several weeks during September-October and found it really useful for seeing where my time goes. (It turns out "preparing food for kids" is a bigger
part of my life than I realised ... 😂)
- Experiment with writing at different times of day. For instance, do you find it easier to write first thing in the morning or last thing at night? Or if neither of those time slots is
right, perhaps there's a different point in the day that works well for you.
Trying these out now can give you a great basis to build on when you think through goals for 2025.
If you'd like some support with setting writing goals, check out Writers' Cafe (see below). We're going to be working through a goal-setting process in a couple of week's time ... but we're always here to support and encourage you week by week too!
Happy writing,
Ali
P.S. Here's last week's blog post, in case you missed it:
Indirect Characterisation: What Is It and How Is It Different From
Direct Characterisation?
