It took four different stores, by I finally found a 2024 calendar with the options I like. It’s the same size I’ve used the past several years, as there’s comfort in the familiar, 7 X 8 1/2 inches. It has the months with small squares for each date, but big enough to make notes about when I need to call the farrier, birthdays, riding lessons and clients, etc. The weeks cover two pages with lines on each day, and Saturday and Sunday are half the size. Numerous notes pages in the back and a small pocket in the front are included to help contain thoughts and ideas. I haven’t started to fill it, as I want to be clear on my shift in organization first.
With the new calendar sitting on the corner of my desk, I decided what to put on the small whiteboard on the wall to my right, which has been there for several months. I have four projects I want to publish by the end of the year. Each is listed across the top. Underneath are the steps needed to complete them. In my mind’s eye, I see myself engaging with each one every day, doing exactly one bit before moving to the next project. I haven’t yet been able to do all four on one day, but that’s a challenge I plan to meet!
As seems to be my default, I’ve been playing with the nonfiction title while waiting for the cover to be created for the short story. The cover arrived yesterday! Yay! It’s the first cover by a new designer, and I really like how it turned out. My plan is to release the story to my newsletter subscribers on October 5, which means I need to finish the parts I’ve delayed doing while working on the nonfiction.
After October 5, there will be three projects remaining. As I learn more about myself and my creativity (even after 15 years), it will inform my schedule and project ideas for 2024. Sunday starts the countdown to the end of the year, the last quarter, a solid deadline to complete my projects. But there’s still time to shift things around on this year’s calendar, to try a few ideas to manage my time and energy, to celebrate the successes each day. Do you do well with hard deadlines? Are you really organized or more the spontaneous sort regarding your calendar?
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