The holidays have come and gone, and we had a good time over several family engagements. Both of our boys were off school/daycare for over a week, but we managed to fill most of the time with activities or family gatherings. Now, it’s back to the routine.

I spent quite a bit of energy in December trying to organize/reorganize things at home: toys or clothes our boys have outgrown, storage space, holiday decorations, etc. These are the types of things that prick at the edges of my mind until I do something about them, so I’ve tried. There are a few more big items I’d like to tackle as well, such as getting a shed installed to help us organize our yard tools, our garage, and other storage areas.

Last Month’s Goals

1. Read three books.
   • Current reads: A World of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin, and The End of the Story, Collected Fantasies of Clark Ashton Smith, Book 1.
   • Likely next reads: I’m eyeing The Map of Salt and Stars by Zeyn Joukhadar in my Audible library. Not a series, but an intriguing fantasy novel nonetheless.
2. All the routines, but more.

Read three books?

Yes! I finished four books in December:

• Behind You is the Sea, by Susan Muaddi Darraj
• The End of the Story, Collected Fantasies of Clark Ashton Smith, Book 1
• The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World, by Robin Wall Kimmerer
• The Good Turn, by Dervla McTiernan

That last one was less than two hours long, and I definitely chose to read it to meet my goal more than anything else. My decent December reading helped get just a bit closer to my GoodReads Challenge goal for 2024. I had set out to read 30 books this past year, an all-time high for me, but only got to 24. I’ve set my goal for 2025 to 24, as that’s clearly been within my usual range the last few years.

All the routines?

Somewhat. I was a bit more consistent with exercise in December, although not as consistent or dedicated as I would have liked. I didn’t do any writing (or perhaps only one writing session).

On the writing front, I’ve stalled in the midst of a read-through of Uprooted, the first of my novella duology. I came to a section that I wanted to rewrite and reframe entirely, to better introduce characters and backstory, and haven’t had the energy to dig into it.

I’m hoping focusing on this section early in January will help me get back into it more routinely.

Goals for January

1. Read three books. Even though my GoodReads challenge is only 24 books, I’d like to beat that number this year.
   • Current reads: A World of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin, and Blackfish City, by Sam J. Miller
   • Likely next reads: The Map of Salt and Stars by Zeyn Joukhadar, and not sure what else.
2. All the routines, but more. Exercise and writing, while trying to stay organized around the house.

Steve D