Letting 2020 Go

Oh my dear readers. We are getting ready to say goodbye to the year and what a year it is has been.

I spent this past week setting up my plot board and dry erase boards for the new year. My plot board is full of index cards, one for each chapter of MS:T, with a three to four sentence description on each card. This manuscript is one I’ve tried to finish several times over the years, but for one reason or another I always wound up setting it aside to finish later. Since I’ve set 2021 as the year I finish things, MS:T is top of the list. I wanted to refresh my knowing of the story before I dove into the writing in January, so resetting my plot board was my biggest and most helpful task. I went through each chapter and found as I wrote out the note cards that I had several new insights into the story. Twice I had to re-number my cards because I realized adding a chapter here and there was needed to fill out the story and fix gaps in the manuscript. As I did that, I also fixed my Scrivener document to mirror my plot board by adding place holders for the new chapters I need to write and re-numbering within the document. That task was the last I wanted to complete for my writing for 2020 and once it was done, I spent the rest of the week resting and celebrating with my family.

This week will be much the same. I plan to enjoy the last week of the year playing with my girls, watching shows late with my husband, and generally relaxing before ushering in the new year. I’ve been thinking about what I want to tell myself before I say goodbye to 2020. I’ve thought about the balance that I found in each month of grieving the time we lost seeing the family and friends we miss so dearly versus how much time we’ve had to be together, time we wouldn’t have had otherwise. I’ve thought about how mindful I tried to be, of letting myself feel my emotions and then letting the feeling go. I realize that before I move into the new year, I want to let 2020 go. I want to let 2020 be what it was and not carry anything from it into 2021 that I don’t need. I want to give 2021 its best shot to be what it will be and I look forward to finding the balance within the year. I have some big goals for my writing in 2021. Actually, looking over the last few years, this will be my most ambitious year yet in terms of my writing goals. I’m excited to take this week to rest and get ready for it to begin.

My wish for everyone is that we can leave 2020 accepting what was and enter 2021 knowing we’ve got the resilience and strength to face what will be. I wish you all peace as we enter this new year and that you know and own the truth deep down in your core that you are more than enough.

Happy Writing and an early very Happy New Year!