My One Word Mantra for 2021

I think the new year is always my favorite time of year. It’s an opportunity to prep and launch into new strategies, new outlooks, and new projects; like a clean slate for yourself and your work. Most people do this in the form of resolutions, as have I in the past, but my vision board looks a little different this year.

Back in 2020, I adopted a new way of taking on resolutions. Instead of crafting resolutions that I would inevitably fail at in February, I decided to take a “one word” approach into the new year. I chose a single word that would be my mantra for the entire year. That word?

Writing.

Vague, yes. It was designed to be loose in structure so I could break it apart. That word looked different in January than it did in December because I wasn’t stuck doing one thing for an entire year feeling like I was wasting my time. It gave me space for adapting to my changing circumstances. In the beginning of the year, I was focused on non-fiction mostly, making adjustments to my fiction writing as I could, but by June I was focused entirely on fiction while non-fiction took a backseat. I took up a new challenge - write half a million words in 6 months - and let that fuel my writing projects. I spent more time writing new material and creating a hefty backlog of work. The flexibility of the one word approach to resolutions changed the game.

So this year, I’m doing something similar. While I’ve set the goal of writing one million words over the year, I’ve decided on a new word that will fuel my next writing year.

Growth.

I’m building a business of writing and publishing. I’m focused on delivering great books to new readers, but now that I have a bit of a following, I’m going to go the extra mile to thank them. In the end, readers like you are the reason I get to keep doing this every day. So during December, I revamped my posting schedule, rebranded my Instagram, and created a plan for awesome books and advanced copies to my loyal newsletter tribe.

My writing year put me in a great position. I finished 2020 with 16 published titles and a lot of ideas. 2021 is poised to bring a lot of really exclusive looks for the people who continue to support me. And if you’re a new reader, I’ve got a ton more books building in my head and on my computer. They’re big. They’re coming.

So stay up to date with my newsletter. Continue supporting and buying books as they are released. Consider joining me for some incredible behind the scenes details into my writing, looks at works in progress, and other really exciting things. Hell, if you want something, I’ll get it to you - just tell me what you’re looking for.

I’m raising a glass to 2021 - the year of growth - and I can’t wait to show you what is coming.