As most of you know, I took some time off from social media to rest, recharge, and figure out a plan of attack for the new year. I wasn’t planning to initially, but the amount of time I spent mindlessly scrolling through Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok bordered on the obscene.

It wasn’t good for my productivity, and it wasn’t good for my mental health. Hence, the break.

And let me tell you, it changed something in me.

Without the constant need to scroll social media, I found other ways to occupy my time in those two weeks. 

• I read the first three books of the ACOTAR (A Court of Thorns and Roses) Series.
•  I put By the Bones and 20 Fun Ideas for Content Creation on Amazon.
•  I added 40 pages to my fantasy novel that I hadn’t touched in months.
•  I started reading the Shadow and Bone Series.
•  I ordered new business cards that featured LadyErynn.com on one side and the Present Poetry Podcast on the other.

Another thing I realized is that most of my stress and creative burnout was caused by focusing more on the sales and financials of writing than the creative side of it. 

So, even though I want my books to sell, I can’t let it consume me. Writing is an outlet- it allows me to face and process my emotions, explore different situations, try on new personalities, and be unapologetically myself. 

If I focus too much on selling my books, I lose that freedom of creativity. 

So, for 2024, my goals are thus:

• Read at least one book a month
• Publish/transfer all my books on Amazon
• Get more submissions for the podcast
• Finish book 3
• Finish the final draft of my fantasy novel
• Attend more writing conferences
• Carve out time to write for fun
• Limit my social media usage

That’s it! Totally attainable- especially since I’ve already started on four of them. 

Thank you for your continued support, and I hope you had a wonderful holiday season/ New Year!