Given that, I'm surprised that I got anything done, but I did get stuff done. Let's check in and see how I did.
Personal Goals
Around this time last year, I made a list of things that I would like to personally achieve, unrelated to my work in any way. Here's the list, and whether or not I managed to get it done:
- Learn Guitar - Well, no, I didn't 'learn guitar,' but I did make a start on it. I didn't really have any expectation that I'd become even remotely good at it in under a year, but I am happy that I got going.
- Finish Level One Welsh - AH HAH HAH HAH HAH HAH HAH HAH HAH HAH! No. I abandoned Welsh lessons to focus on French lessons late in the year, and will probably continue that way until I feel comfortable speaking to my French family or I feel that I can travel to France without language difficulty.
- Get Learner's - Oh. Oops. I forgot this was a goal. So.. uh... no. No, I did not achieve this particular goal.
- Get my next tattoo - Well, finally, something I did achieve! I did indeed get my new tattoo, and I love it very much.
Health Goals
Again, separate from my vocation goals, I set a few health-related goals for myself. There were literally a few. As in three.
- Get to three rounds of a ten minute skip - No, I did not achieve this. I didn't even work towards it. I forgot this was a goal. Oops.
- Run a 5K obstacle course - Giant check! I ran the Ottawa Foam Fest with a few of my martial arts students. It was great. Stupid hot that day, but great.
- Run a 5K straight race - Check! With the help of the wonderful Evan May, and one of my martial arts students, I ran a straight 5K race - the Ottawa Night Run. I won't say I had fun, because I didn't. I was furious with myself for how much I struggled during the race. Still, I ran it. I have the shirt and medal to prove it.
Professional Goals
This is the big one. I had a lot of goals. I know for a fact I did not hit them all, but I gave it a good try! Let's see how I did.
- Put Soldier on submission - Yep. I did that. Got a lot of nibbles but no bites. I did not exhaust my list, though, and so I will try again next year, now that I've gotten some notes from folks I really respect and admire.
- Finish Outcast - I did to this. The first draft of the second book the The Great Man series has indeed been completed this year.
- Edit Outworlder - done and done. The first book of The Avalon Wars has been edited as much as I am able.
- Send Outcast to my beta readers - I don't think I did this. I had planned to finish the second book of The Avalon Wars first and well...
- Complete book two of The Avalon Wars - Nope. That didn't happen. While I'm annoyed at myself, I really did want it done by the end of the year, I did write a lot of it, and I am approaching the end of the book I'm cutting myself a little slack for this one.
- Submit Outworlder - Yes. The first book of The Avalon Wars went on submission in 2019. I haven't quite exhausted my list of agents yet, so it will be continuing into 2020.
- Sent book two of The Avalon Wars to beta readers - No. First I haven't finished the manuscript, and also, wow, was I ever optimistic about when I'd finish the book if I thought there'd be time left in the year to send it off to my beta readers!
- Acquire an agent - AH HAH HAH HAH HAH HAH HAH! *sobs quietly in a corner*
This list, however, isn't the sum of my successes and advancements in 2019. Despite it being such a difficult year, I managed to do a lot that was good, and even had an opportunity or two open up that I took advantage of. Of note was joining the writers of Black Gate Magazine, blogging there on a fortnightly basis. I missed only once (sorry, again, John), and I'm pretty proud of myself about it.
So, I didn't achieve all I wanted this year, it is true, but it was actually a hell of a lot all the same. I'm not all that sad about the things I couldn't get done. I think I did alright.
What about you? How did your 2019 go? Did you make goals? Did you reach them?
Let me know below.
Ciao!