I know I said I wasn’t going to think too hard about 2025 yet but my mind has other plans, honestly. My mind would like to think about it right now. I’m sure this is only the first of MANY times I’ll think about 2025 before I come to something resembling a plan.
Warning: This post is likely to be sort of a stream-of-consciousness style.
What worked in 2024?
That seems like a good place to start. After all, if something worked in 2024 I should probably keep it up in future years.
- The new journal with 3 sections worked exactly as well as I wanted it to! The section for writing projects kept me focused on things that I already had begun. The section for reading is perfectly formatted for tracking each month. The blank pages work for documenting a month (more on those later, I’m sure, because they have weaknesses too).
- Sticking to 3 review copies promised per month works. More than that left me stressed and less than that made me feel like I could have been doing more for authors than I was. 3 is the magic number.
- Having a flexible project focus in a month worked to allow me to sort of change projects with my moods.
- This one is something most people probably don’t realize I even do because I don’t document it anywhere … but I have a list of the 12 indie books that have been on my TBR the longest. In 2024, I made it one of my silent goals to read one of those per month. That worked for me! It was a silent goal (ahem: until now) so it was only me I would let down if I blew it. Instead, I was able to make my way through those and get them reviewed! I liked that. I think I might commit to doing it again. Maybe even figure out a way to share/document it.
- Here’s another one I rarely share: I have a list of 9 fun little categories that match up to my TBR. Whenever I find myself unsure of what I should read next, I pick a category and use that to decide my next read. It’s fun but also low pressure. When I used to commit myself to doing that on a regular schedule, it was another thing to do. That’s never fun. This way it’s more relaxed. I should find a way to share it when I do it because it is fun … but I love it. By the way, if you’re curious, here are those categories:
- Oldest book on my TBR
- Genre (this is sort of a grab bag, I will pick one out of a hat)
- 1st in a series
- Next in a series
- Oldest publication date
- Physical book I already own
- Kindle book I already own
- Gift or giveaway win
- Independent Author
What Didn’t Really Work in 2024?
That’s the other side of the coin, of course. If something didn’t work, I need to own that and make changes.
- Not holding myself to a daily writing goal allows me to take days off. If you had asked me about that in the beginning of the year I would’ve said that was the point. I was burning the candle at both ends before and wearing myself out. I needed to let myself take a break. Now it’s time to find a true balance. I need to get back to pushing myself to write more often. I’d like to see more words out of myself in 2025.
- Timelines for the projects need to be decided on, put on my calendar, and adhered to. I keep pushing things off and that’s not helping anyone. I already know the steps, I know when they should be done. I just need to push myself to see them. In 2025 I’d like to see a full publishing schedule for Tabatha Shipley Books for at least the next 3 years written down.
- I need to do more events in 2025. The ones I am loyal to are amazing and I love them. I’d just also like to do more of them!
- I may need to consider having a writing, editing, and “other tasks” goal each day. Maybe I need to work a schedule that allows me to book those time periods as three separate times. Basically, if I’m writing a lot I’m not editing and vice-versa. These projects aren’t going to complete themselves! Ok, ok, YES I see how this mindset leads me to contradict the balance idea from the first bullet in this section. BALANCE. I’ll work on it.
- The silent goals have to stop. I know I mentioned one I had that worked for me in 2024, but that’s a rarity. More often, they stress me out in silence and cause me some serious headaches. I have the goals I put on paper and then I decide there are other goals that I want to hit but don’t document. This leads me to forget about them and then get mad at myself when I don’t make them. It’s really a terrible cycle. In 2025, I’d like to quit going that to myself.
What Else?
There’s always something else I want to remember that I can’t find a category for.
- I do want to make sure I’m giving a little attention to the already started works. Obviously, that will happen if I really do commit to a publishing schedule. I do, however, also want to commit to getting some new things written. Obviously, I’m only one person and I need to find that balance. But, in a perfect world, I’d find time to do that.
- I want to write some poetry again. I keep finding the old ones I wrote down in previous years and I really like finding them. I feel more grounded and more connected to my characters when I take the time to write poetry. I skipped it in 2024 because it felt like putting one more thing on my to do list but I miss it … so I’d like to see it come back.
- I need to write more blog posts and post more on social media. I’m aware of that. Again, I think the theme of 2025 will be BALANCE. In the past, forcing myself into a social media schedule of daily posts got to be too much. In the same vein, if I don’t make a schedule I don’t do it. I’m going to have to find something that works and try to stick to it.
Alright, that’s enough for now.
I never meant to actually start finalizing plans today, only to start thinking. I’ve done that. If I do too much more, I’ll be really planning and it’s too early for that!
I’m sure I’ll be back with more ideas later!