The clock struck midnight and I was actually up this time watching the ball drop on TV as the New Year rang in. There was a client click of our fake champagne (the real stuff gives me a headache), and a kiss on the sofa. There were no parties or get together with everything going on in the news. My husband and decided to have a quiet night but the fact that we were both actually up when 2022 happened was a change from previous years.
Maybe we’re getting old, because I like ringing in the New Year in my PJs and no makeup. Goodbye gowns, glitter eye shadow, and heels that make me regret wearing you the next day. A party or two might be in the future but if this repeats again next year, I’m okay with that.
As 2022 approached I thought about previous years when my husband was requested to play his piano or accompany someone at a New Year’s party and I had to laugh. I remember one time when I decided to stay in the cold car typing in the parking lot because I was working a new novel. I was in there so long that I caused concern by the hotel security and they did several circles and passes because I might have alarmed them. I didn’t think I was doing anything unusual because you could clearly see me typing on my laptop through the windows. I guess writing in a hotel parking lot in a car for hours causes concern.
What can I say? I felt the momentum and I didn’t want to lose it. I was at a writing peak and that was the year I finished a collection of romantic short stories after a few children’s book. You know those days when you actually have the motivation to finish one of your novels? Well, that actually happened a few times.
Then, it was time into side hustles and a different full time job because my bad habit is having more than one job and only 24 hours in a day to do all of them. I look back 10 years ago from my first day of the new year and I wonder what happened to all of my energy. I mean, I was willing to forgo a month of sleep in order to publish my next book.
I know it’s tempting to call myself lazier but I like to think I’ve grown wiser over the years. I had to put my health first and going full steam only landed me in the hospital with health problems. And there was a point when I didn’t want to type another word. In fact, I avoided my incomplete manuscripts.
It took me a while to back on track through writing challenges, following other writers with the same struggles, and then I started to write every day for my blog. My writing rehab created 3, soon to be 4 published journals.
If I’ve learned anything over the years, it’s that consistency is more important than daily page count. Counting words every can help some of us, but the truth is that it usually stresses most of us out. I guess my advice is to write, just write. Get into the habit right away because’s it the New Year!
Happy New Year!
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~Yoon Ju
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