The year that was 2017

A journey is a person in itself; no two are alike. And all plans, safeguards, policing, and coercion are fruitless. We find that after years of struggle that we do not take a trip; a trip takes us.
John Steinbeck
Brainyquote

Hard to believe another year has gone. It seems each year flashes by like the speed of light, and before I realise what has happened, a new year has begun. We cram so much in a day, that we forget we need to live. For me that is something I need to work on. At the beginning of 2017, I was looking forward to various challenges the year would bring, plus I was teaching full-time, which I hadn’t done in ten years. Suffice to say, it was a roller-coaster of a year.

Working two jobs, both time consuming and each requiring a lot of personal investment, did consume me. This became evident when I set the launch date for Book 2 in the Servant of the Gods series. I thought I was organised but I was not prepared for the extra stress from working two jobs—teaching and writing.

I had set out on my calendar an overview of my tasks to do when I got home from work, which worked well for the first half of the year. I was pleased I was able to, keep up with writing blog posts, make regular contact with my mailing list, and make time for social media. Though I must admit, my time on Twitter decreased around April-May, then it pretty much faded to minimal use.

I was quite happy with my progress, and I was still writing, working on two new manuscripts while I edited and re-edited multiple times The Labyrinthine Journey. I was excited at the prospect of publishing Book 2, as it had been well received by my beta readers, and after further edits, I contacted the cover designer to book a time. All good, until a change in date was made. Let’s say, hindsight is wonderful, and I now know what NOT to do for future releases.

One can plan to finest detail but you cannot expect it to go the way you’d like or within the time frame you set. Not when other people are involved. What did I learn from this? I need to rely on my gut instinct, and not ignore it. Someone told me this over ten years ago, and I am still making this mistake. Unfortunately, my brain takes over and says ‘do this,’ or my brain goes ‘they know better, so let’s do as they suggested.’

For 2018, my aim is to take what I have learnt, not repeat them and change my attitude towards how I am currently working. I have written my goals for 2018, my next step is to develop strategies to achieve those goals. Some are easier than others, though I am looking forward to this new year and to meeting whatever challenges that come my way.

Thank you for your continued support and as always, I look forward to your comments and will respond.

Historical fiction novelist and a secondary teacher, Luciana Cavallaro, burnt out but not done… yet.

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