Dodo Diary Jan 2019: new year, new dawn
Another New Year, and of course I’m taking stock of my self-improvement efforts.
Well, perhaps ‘efforts’ is a rather strong word. What with Christmas choccies and party food, my good intentions have been going downhill on a skateboard all through December!
The trouble with the slippery slope is that there isn’t a sign saying, ‘STOP!’ We have to exercise a bit of self-discipline and decide to stop ourselves.
Well, this is my Stop sign. The moment has come to set some new self-improvement targets. It’s the dawn of a new me – a Dodo Dawn. So, what do I want to achieve in 2019?
Creative Writing
Now that I have more free time, my writing can take the priority I should have given it years ago. This year, I want to:
- Learn to use Amazon’s KDP print-on-demand software so I can self-publish ebooks and paperbacks.
- Complete, edit and self-publish my first 3 family history books (they’re already researched, planned and half-finished, so this isn’t an impossible target);
- Complete the first draft of 2 other books (I have several which are partially-written, but I need to start finishing books instead of constantly starting new ones).
- Write at least 4 blog posts every month (I have several blogs, but I will give three of them the top priority if I’m busy);
- Plan the structure for 10 non-fiction books (one a month from January to October – that’s doable!);
Health
I’ve already made progress with my weight-loss, but my flab is creeping back. From today, I’ll be back on my diet, trying to eat more healthily and controlling my sugar intake, as well as trying to get more exercise, so my targets are:
- Don’t eat sweet foods before 10pm – because once I’ve tasted sugar, I find it hard to resist more!
- Lose 50lbs. This will bring my weight down from Obese into the Overweight range, which would be much better for my health.
- Give up smoking. I have to say I’m not at all keen, but I know I must!
Relationships
I need to give my family, especially my children and grandchildren, more attention. Perhaps that shouldn’t be difficult, but I don’t want to be the Mother-in-law From Hell who is always on the phone prying into her kids’ lives.
In the last few years I’ve had such a miserable life, I didn’t have any happy things to say half the time, and I’ve been so poor, I never had any interesting news to tell because I never went anywhere or did anything!
Now my life is happier and more active, so my targets are:
- Remember family birthdays
- Send a letter or postcard to each grandchild every month
- See my grandchildren on Skype every month
- Phone each of our sons once a month
Must go. I need to get my exercise bike out of the garden shed. Putting it in there was more exercise than I’d used it for since I bought it!