Black Tortoise Press Things

January: A look back and my vision forward

Day two of 2020. Woah!

Remember Y2K? 911?

It seems so long ago. And yet, not so long ago at all. What about Fred Savage and The Wonder Years?

Today I read in Huffington Post that the look-back for The Wonder Years was about 20 years. I remember that show as so nostalgic. What about you?

This past week, I waxed nostalgic over the past decade thanks to several Best of… articles and TV shows.

[tweetthis]A lot of good things happened[/tweetthis]

  • We have Hamilton. Who would have believed we’d be rapping the American Revolution?
  • We have more women heroes and superstars like Elsa in Frozen, all the women in Bridesmaids, Wonder Woman, Rey of Star Wars.
  • We have a real live super-activists like Greta Thrumburg the fourteen year-old climate activist, and Cristina Jiménez and Celia Ziliak, who created (S)HE Matters, and Emma González and  March for Our Lives
  • We have a vaccine for Ebola
  • We have a photo of a black hole. Who can forget the face of the young woman who helped make it happen:

This got me looking back at my last decade.

  • I joined the Women’s March
  • I saw all the Oscar nominated movies
  • I volunteered at the Food Pantry
  • I got two books published
  • I started a Facebook group to support my sister writers
  • I went camping with my family
  • I joined Weight Watchers and matched my monthly fee to the Food Pantry
  • I read the full Mueller Report
  • I did a lot of consulting
  • I tore a ligament and recovered.
  • I got 14,000 words into my next novel.

I’m far from a world changer.

Sarah over at Makes me Wander encouraged me to make a vision board. That reminded me that several years ago I created a five-year plan. Each January Loved-One and I reviewed the plan until all but one thing got accomplished.

  • We built a small house on a large lot.
  • I’m a published author.
  • CoCo lives independently.
  • We traveled four of the seven continents (still three to go.)
  • Work from home

I’m not so sure about creating a vision board, but I’m certain it’s time for a new five-year plan. For sure I plan to get at least two more continents (maybe not Antartica.) I have at least three or four more books waking me up a night trying to get down on virtual paper. We want to build on our work-from-home success and I want to practice being present with people, recognizing and responding to their needs in the moment.

And, I just got a piano, so somebody better learn how to play.

What about you? How are you approaching this new decade?

P.S. I plan to stay focused on the good news that I see around me every day.