I got quite a few replies to yesterday’s email regarding your New Year's goals.
I specifically asked WHY you’ve set them because, usually, as much as we like to think we’re striving towards a goal, we’re actually striving away from something.
Often pain or discomfort.
So with that in mind, here are my goals, revamped as 5 things I WON’T be doing (and WHY):
1. Sitting a lot
I spent a lot of time last year hunched over the keyboard, and it wasn’t pretty. I developed shoulder and lower back pain, weird tingling in my fingers, and I was noticeably more cranky than normal. Not this year!
2. Not reading much
My fellow scribes will be disgusted to learn I hardly read much fiction at all last year. With kids, writing, and a whole lot of life in between, it simply wasn’t a priority of mine. This year, I shall make good of that shortcoming.
3. Staying in the UK
Lady Laura and I long for sun and a family-centric way of life, free from the crime and stresses our home country continues to heap onto its citizens. Brexit really screwed up our ability to uproot and leave, but by the end of this year, we plan to be in T-shirts and sliders — not raincoats.
4. Getting up and going straight to work.
This usually results in a lot of scattered thoughts and a restlessness that follows me around like a shadow all day. Compared to the calm I felt when I was taking 20 minutes for myself in the morning to sit in silence with no phone or distractions, the difference in my spirit is night and day.
Anyway, those are 4 things I WON’T be doing in 2026.
If one of your goals is to read or listen to more fantasy books — ideally, ones with fast-paced narratives, characters who aren’t entirely good or bad, and absolutely no real-world politics — then I could think of worse places to start than The Divided Region.
The link is here:
https://djjwatsonstore.com/products/TDR-Bundle
Or if you prefer to shop at retailers:
https://books2read.com/dividedregionexiled
Stay classy, and have a great weekend.
DJJW