As I wrote in my last post, 2018 was not all smooth sailing. However, things were looking up by the end of the year, and I’m hopeful that 2019 will provide space for some hopes and dreams I’ve been nurturing.

I’m not calling these resolutions, because I’m don’t have to change my life to make these happen. I already have the habits and systems in place! These are goals that are completely achievable, barring a major life asteroid. 

• Finish my novel, The Eugenicist’s Assistant. Edit, send to beta readers, edit again, send to my agent, and hopefully begin the submission process. This one’s going to get published, folks. I just know it.
• Write a memoir about my life before, during and after cancer. This year is my 20th anniversary of being cancer-free. I’m celebrating! I’m going to do a few things just for myself (travel, treats) but this memoir will be my way of sharing my milestone with others. However I publish it, whether traditionally or self-published, I’m going to give proceeds to a charity that helps children with cancer, such as St. Jude’s or Make A Wish. This is my secondary project, behind the novel (my “major” and “minor” if you will) but I’ve blocked daily time to work on it. Even twenty minutes a day will net me an essay every month or so, and I can spend more time on it whenever T.E.A. is out with readers or my agent.
• Submit 100 times. I did not get anything published in 2018. Yes, it was that hard of a year, and yes, I had that writer’s block for about half of it, but I could have submitted past work. Instead, I retreated inside my turtle shell and hid my writing work. Not this year. My goal is 100 submissions for the year, to literary magazines, blogs, etc. I’m not afraid of the rejection; I’ve gotten used to that part of it. But out of 100 submissions, I’m confident at least a handful will be accepted. By 2020, I want to have more publication credits on my bio.
• Create a speaking kit, and apply to speak at writing conferences. 
• Lose some weight. I’ve successfully dropped weight in the past, so I’m sure I can do it again with similar methods. I’m reasonably happy with my body, but I do have two major events this year where I’d like to look my best: a 10th anniversary trip to Jamaica with my husband in April, and my high school reunion in October.
• Travel more. There’s the trip to Jamaica, but I’m also hoping to bring the family to San Diego this year to visit my sister, and I’m contemplating a trip to the Historical Novel Society conference in June. (And Writer’s Digest Conference, of course, but that’s such a short trip for me it hardly counts.) Now that my kids are a bit older, it’s time to start traveling again!
• Re-finish the basement. We need new carpet, paint, shelving, a new fireplace mantel– the works. It’ll be a big project but I want to get it done while we’re still set on living here for the next few years!

What are your goals and dreams for 2019?