2018 Goals and Intentions

The year is almost over and it’s time to set some goals and plans for 2018. I know New Year’s​ resolutions are often not kept, but I find setting goals work for me. As long as they are realistic. There is something about setting your intentions that seem to direct your life along the right tracks to get where you want to go. I certainly found that to be correct for 2017. So cheers to another goal setting year in 2018

Writing

Having finished the ​first draft of my very first novel in 2017 I now want to spend​​ the first 2-3 months of 2018 editing and getting my novel ready for publishing. That means a couple of personal edits followed by sending it to a number of beta readers. I plan to self-publish​ first maybe using Amazon or Lulu as my platform. Stil, ​ need to do a bit more research before deciding on best strategy. Also, ​ want to research best agents & publishers to approach when I am ready to go down that road. My dream is still well and truly alive to publish my novel and do so well I can retire from work and just write. Many will smile and say this is most likely impossible, but I do not plan to let that stop me. Someone has to have success with their first novel and it may as well just be me.
I also want to continue blogging on a regular basis , maybe aim for weekly blogs as well as start my 2nd novel as a continuation of my first. I have a total of 3 in mind, but also tempted to do my memoirs, but this may need to wait another year. Only so many hours in the day when working full time.

Photography

I feel like my photography has taken a back seat to my writing in the last couple of months and I want to change that a bit in 2018. Have already organised my first assignment as a festival photographer in January attending the Bulli Folk Festival. This should start the year right and get me back into my other passion , taking good photos.
Having just bought the new Iphone 8 I have to admit its easy to get “lazy” and just use the phone. Its always handy and easy to carry with you everywhere you go. But I don’t get the same satisfaction from taking photos using my phone as opposed to my DSLR camera.
In 2018 I want to make sure I get out at least a couple of times every month and get myself some good shots. I joined a photography group in the latter half of 2017 that go on outings together and I plan to join them a bit more in 2018.

Happiness

I want to work on being happy with my life. I generally am a pretty content and happy person, but I feel 2017 has been a challenging year on a personal level. Not only did I loose a very dear friend to a freak accident , but I have also had to get used to my own little family living apart. I have had to do a fair amount of soul-searching to work out what it has meant to me and what I want. I do know what I want, and that is for my whole family to live close by, but I have to accept that is not always going to be the case.
On top of the challenges of 2017 I have to admit the looming big birthday in 2018 has also been playing on my mind. I am reaching an decade in life where many retire, but I am so not ready to retire in my mind. I have so many things I still want to do in life and to have to slow down and to accept that I am no longer a young person with endless possibilities has not been easy.
So I have to learn to accept all of that and still be content and happy in my own life. This I want to continue to work on in 2018.

Health & Fitness

Yes, it’s the usual New Year resolution I guess, but I really want to work on getting fit again. Ive have struggled with frozen shoulders and 3 broken ribs over the last 2-3 years, but next year I should be ready to get back into feeling strong, fit and healthy again. I want to lose some weight but more importantly I want to be fit and strong again. I know how much better I feel both in mind and body if I am fit. With all the things I have planned I need all the energy I can get and we all know the fitter we are the more energy we have. So 2018 is for getting fit and healthy.

Overall my dream for 2018 would be to have a huge success with my novel , enough to sustain a life style of being able to live where I want and when I want. Then I could be with my loved ones whenever I desire it. My ultimate dream for 2018 is now on paper and out in cyber world. The intentions are set for a great 2018 and I can’t wait to get started.

What are your goals and intentions for 2018?

Wishing all a very happy safe and fantastic 2018.​ Happy writing.