2014 My Year in Review

Another year is almost over, 2014 is quickly closing, as we turn the page on our calendars and usher in 2015.  There is always something about ringing in a new year that causes us to reflect.  Its more than training our brain to write a new number when we write the date on a check, it’s the idea of the passage of time and the knowledge that our time is not limitless – a new year causes us to look at how we have used our time on this planet so far and it forces us to wonder how we will choose to spend our remaining time.

I have never been a fan of new years resolutions – mostly because although they are made with good intentions, rarely do any of us follow through with these ‘resolutions’ and they simply become empty promises.  I can ‘promise’ to go get more exercise and loose some weight – but unless I actually get up off the couch, that promise doesn’t really help.  (To be honest I try to avoid the gym the first 2 or 3 weeks of a new year because its too crowded with the folks who ‘really mean it this time’ when they say they are going to lose weight.  I know they will quickly return to their pre-resolution behavior within a week or two and my gym will be less crowded).

The one thing I really do enjoy about the New Year is the opportunity to reflect on our past year.  What a great chance to review what we are proud of and what we would like to do differently.  

As I reflect back on 2014 I am extremely proud of the year that I had:

•       I made a big decision this past year to quit a job that I really loved because the challenges began to far outweigh the benefits of working there.  That was a huge step for me.  It was hard to leave the kids, and I still miss them, but I don’t miss the negative atmosphere and the frustration created by incompetent and uncaring administrators. 

•       I took a big leap this year and jumped into the world of writing.  I began by writing a comical memoir of my recent health challenges and I used this book as my training ground to learn all about hiring editors, working with designers for cover art, and the community of independent authors who choose to self-publish books.  I worked on building my social media presence.  I not only published one non-fiction title, but I decided to write a short ‘how-to’ book on parenting based on my personal and professional experience.  I also submitted a piece of fiction to an anthology of short stories and I was elated when my story was chosen for publication.  I finished up my entrance into the world of writing this year by participating in National Novel Writing Month, actually managing to write over 50,000 words in one month.  It was an accomplishment I am very proud of.  As the New Year begins, I hope to continue to write more fiction as well as some non-fiction books.  I feel so lucky to be in a position to be able to pursue my dreams, and 2014 was a fantastic start. 

•       The biggest event this past year was my dream wedding to the most wonderful man I have ever met.  Like something out of a fairy tale, our wedding was spectacular – turquoise water, soft white sand beneath our bare feet, with my daughters at my side, I married my best friend and spent a week in honeymoon bliss at one of the most beautiful places on earth.  Its pretty hard to top this moment and other than the birth of my two daughters, this event will be one of the greatest memories of my life.

                                    

Yes, 2014 was a pretty darn good year for me and I can’t wait to see what 2015 will hold in store.