A Penny for your Thoughts: Here’s looking at you, 2019

Looking back at all the times I let procrastination win in 2018 means one thing in 2019… It has GOT TO GO.

I procrastinated so much in 2018 that the entire year almost feels a complete waste. Whether this means using a pomodoro timer or the annoying one on the microwave I use while cooking, things have got to stop being set aside.

Although, I will admit, much of my procrastination started sometime mid-summer. The stupid bee sting on my ankle, plus Benadryl, plus the side effects of both (I think the last time a bee stung me may have been when I was 9) laid me out for too damn long. After that, I cut my other ankle on some broken glass. More swelling, scary looking bruising, blah blah blah.

Excuses, am I right?

Well, not always. It’s best to take care of yourself when something out of the ordinary happens. I haven’t had the flu in … over a decade. I occasionally get a migraine that can take up to two days (maybe three depending on how bad) to recover from, but mostly I am a healthy person. With the bee sting that meant no walks in the park. As soon as I got home from work, I changed and propped my foot up with an ice pack to ease the swelling. It sucked ass. Then, when I cut my right ankle, I had to baby the fuck out of that one, too. Luckily, they didn’t happen at the same time.

Second, exercise is good for me, but I still refuse to go to a gym. I’d much rather walk in the park or workout at home. That means I have to just get up and do it. If I change when I get home, I can easily change into yoga pants and a tank top, throw my hair up, and do yoga and strength training. I don’t need a buddy to work out with; I need to work out.

Nature walks are excellent when you include a walking meditation. Just watch out for the squirrels that like to defend their territory from the evil human walking by throwing acorns at you. (Lucky for me, they miss.) I prefer walking in the summer, so even though the weather has been warm (but wet) I’ll probably stick with indoor exercises.

Goals for 2019!

On Twitter I tweeted a short list of goals. The first one is to learn Japanese. I’ve wanted to learn for years and have tried. I recently signed up for JapanesePod101.com. I’m also using DuoLingo as well (however, they only have Japanese on their website and phone app at this time). I enjoy listening to the exciting voices in the JapanesePod101 audio courses. The video courses are great, too. They have so many materials to offer and I’ve learned things previously taught from other programs were incorrect. Instead of listening to a meditation while walking the park, I could learn a new language.

I also included writing enough to fill a warehouse. Obviously, I’m being dramatic there. No way in hell would my hands and wrists be able to handle that kind of abuse. It doesn’t mean I won’t give it one hell of a try though! So, I’ll be here writing my damn heart out between learning Japanese and exercising. I hope you’ll come along the ride and see where we end up. I’m sure some excellent smut will come out of it as I’ll be working closely with my #SisterInSmut Jayne.

The other goal for 2019 is to put out one hell of an anthology: Chemical [se]X: Just One More. If you haven’t seen the promos for it, what rock have you been hiding under and why haven’t you invited us to join you? We’re a lot of fun! The authors listed in this anthology are amazing at what they do and each story is going to blow your mind away.

The other one should be simple, right?

Keeping the house clean shouldn’t be difficult at all. Sometimes I’m super lazy and lag behind things. Plus, King of the Floof Peanut enjoys holding me hostage sleeping on me. While he’s warm and fluffy and lovely to snuggle, it’s also one of the major things that keep me from getting up and moving around to get things done.

While I’ve been on vacation from the day job, I’ve taken time to get quite a few things done around the house. If I keep going at the rate I am, I’ll have a bunch of things to donate soon. (Too bad the day job has to interfere with my cleaning and writing, right?) That’s always a plus because storing things in closets just to collect dust is not a good way to live. It’ll take time, but I’ll get closer to the things that truly matter over the next year.

Chatting With Others

The sisters and I are constantly chatting about plans. Talking with Dr. J., I like something she mentioned about New Year’s Day. She says she uses that day to do things she wants to do throughout the year. Things like eating healthy and checking in with loved ones, seeing what old friends are up to, etc.
I think it’s an excellent way to start a new year.

I don’t really do resolutions. They set you up to fail. Many people choose a word to help them focus on what they want to achieve in the year to come, which I’ve also done previously. While getting things taken care of on vacation, I’d been thinking of a word for 2019.

To avoid procrastination, I will focus on the word Persistence. To achieve my goals, no matter how small or large they be, I need to be persistent in doing the things I set out to do. That means sitting down to write every day and attempt to write even if the words aren’t up to snuff. Words on the screen or paper can be edited and fixed and polished. A blank screen is just that – nothing to work with until it’s filled with words.

I don’t want to work myself to death. I want to be doing things I enjoy. That means writing and listening to music and learning new things. That means chatting on Twitter with all of you. Writing isn’t work, it’s a release. It’s like the valve on a pressure cooker. All the ideas need to be let out or I get cranky. And you don’t want to see me cranky… ha!

Before I run off into the New Year’s Eve Social Proclivities, I want to let you know not to miss out on the Masturbation Monday Podcast today! It’s my story Drizzled in Honey. I hope you enjoy!

Let us go into the new year with new goals in mind, new boundaries to push, and hopefully new friends to share our successes with, lean on when we feel failure is imminent, and to cheer each other on as we continue to build a path to a sex-positive world where we can all feel warm and welcome.

And now, I leave you with Killing Ourselves to Live by HaleStorm.

What About You? What are your plans for the upcoming year? How will you complete your goals? Share your tips and tricks in the comments to help others!