Each year at Thanksgiving we start the Goal Analysis of the previous year and the Goal Planning for the next year. The process culminates on New Years Eve when we embrace the new Plan and the New Year with optimism and hope. We also give a name to the new year to inspire and focus us.

The first thing we do on Black Friday is to assess how we did over the last year, in a spirit of thankfulness for having arrived at the end of the year.

We are intensely thankful for many things this year, including our beautiful renovated house, our families who have survived the year and done well, and for our friends. This year, though, was our worst for achieving our goals since we started this system. Ironically, we named it “The Year of Doubling” meaning we would not only accomplish everything we did in 2021, but double the amount.

Friends, it was like giving a wicked wink to the Fates to name a year The Year of Doubling. Not only did we not double our productivity, we had unprecendented difficulties producing at all since we were variously out of our house, living with constant contractors, crammed into my office while the rest of the house was worked on, and so forth.

As we glanced back through 2022 from the embers of the year, the one question we had was how can we make 2023 unlike 2022? And for that answer we had to go back to 2021 when we pushed hard to move forward in our writing, while largely ignoring health and other bigger issues. What I’d missed is that health and rest can be burned at the altar of productivity for a while, but ultimately if I don’t re-establish the health, the rest will fade as well.

A week ago I was sent a very unpleasant blessing, which was a severe illness that essentially acted as a cleanse. So here I am, all clean inside and out and anxious to see the rest of this through. So I’ll only be putting the cleanest possible food into my delicate body: whole plant foods.

I also injured muscles in my core. So as I heal those I’ll be trying to strengthen them as well. Whatever next year is called, I’m going to use it to rebuild my foundations of health and joy. I trust the writing will tag along.

Some Exciting News!

We just had a publication that we are quite excited about. Our short story, “The Most Dangerous (Board) Game” was just published by a new magazine Fanatical, which is a magazine devoted entirely to stories inspired by gaming. It’s a fantastic idea and one we should all support.

I hope you are doing well and finding plenty to be thankful for as the year winds to a close. As we continue to go through our 2023, I’ll let you know how things will definitely change in 2023 in addition to the focus on health.

Be well, friends!