Happy New Year!
We made it through the year from Hell. Or did we? 2021 appeared to be this golden, high status, out of reach goal for everyone. The final level of Jumanji of you will.
“If we can just make it to 2021 – everything will be better. It will all be behind us and we can go back to life pre-covid.”
Oh how full of optimism we were. It felt as though everyone collectively stepped cautiously over the threshold. Nobody daring to make a sound. No New Year’s Resolutions were to be made. And there was even the temptation to shout “JUMANJI” as the clock struck midnight on December 31st.
Despite all of the uncertainty the pandemic brought to 2020, I found the year to be somewhat productive. My partner and I managed to get lots of things done around the house and the garden. We painted all the woodwork (OK, most of it). We decorated the hallway and made plans to jazz up the stairs. We did some wedding planning, got my wedding dress and made some tough decisions in a bid to be prepared – just incase. We are getting married in September and I’m not sure I feel confident that we will have the wedding we originally planned for. But that’s OK. We have each other and that is what’s really important. Its not about the big fancy white wedding, its about making that commitment to the person that you love.
Over the course of Lockdown, my future wife & I indulged in a little baking. We like cake. Who doesn’t? Cake is delicious and moreish and cheerful. My work had a little ‘Bake Off’ and this lovely Black Forest masterpiece was my entry. I was delighted when they announced my cake as the winner! I poured my heart and soul into making it and it was delicious – even if I do say so myself!
On another positive – I made the decision to embrace the time I was given and start to really focus on my writing. I currently have two unfinished manuscripts, and yet another idea fighting for space at the front of my mind. Albeit, it is one I had begun to tinker with a few years ago. It has reared its not so ugly head and ramped itself up. I can’t wait to see where it goes. Firstly, though, I must complete my NaNoWriMo manuscript. Its something I am very proud of, and a fantastic accomplishment I achieved during the darkest of times. I discovered that I am a plantser. I require a good level of planning, but I also enjoy going off on an uncharted adventure.
If you don’t know where you want to go, it doesn’t matter which path you take.
Lewis Carroll
I plan to be more productive this year, although I do want to ensure I avoid burnout. Especially with my wedding looming in the not so distant future. To ensure a happy and productive year, I purchased a Happy Planner. I recently discovered a few new YouTube channels to follow and one in particular – Heart Breathings – uses happy planners (amongst others) to organise her books and other writerly projects. I loved how versatile the happy planner is. You can swap out pages and add others in to make it better suited to your own personal needs. Where has this planner been all my life?!
Anyways, I’m super excited and super motivated for what 2021 has in store for me. I will, of course, maintain a dash of caution. 2020 and Covid aren’t finished with us just yet. I hope that whatever your plans or goals are for the year ahead, you manage to achieve them. Good luck in all that you endeavour to do, and stay safe.
Best Wishes,
Georgie 🖤
Georgie McBrowneth 