A new year stretches out in front of us. Do you feel excited about a fresh year? Or do waves of anxiety wash over you as you think about your to-do list?

I admit to experiencing excitement tinged with a bit of freaking out, but that’s my Type A personality kicking in. 🙂

I hope your 2019 is off to a blissful start. My year has been busy so far, and I don’t see that stopping any time soon!

Did you set goals or resolutions? It’s okay if you didn’t.

Instead of goals this year, I have 3 intentions:

1. Creativity
Write more! I have several books planned this year. I’m nearly done with Book 4 in the Rogue Spark series. I can’t wait to share Ida’s next adventure with you. Look for that in February.

Check out this cool mug my husband gifted me:

2. Freedom
My consulting business has been busy! January and February are my peak times. Starting in March, I’ll be changing the way I operate with the goal of spending less time consulting and more time writing and launching my books.

I became a writer to try to fill my life with creativity and have more freedom to pursue the things I enjoy. I hope to bring a lot more freedom to my life in the coming years!

3. Collaboration
In November, I traveled with 7 other authors on a train from Chicago to New Orleans. I wrote a short story with another author, and we had a blast! The story will be published as part of The Authors on a Train anthology, and I’ll let you know when it’s available.

In fact, I loved co-writing so much that I plan to do more of it. I don’t have anything to announce yet officially, but I’m excited about the upcoming possibilities to work with other authors.

Here are a few pics from that trip.

On November 11th, eight authors boarded the train in Chicago, ready to begin a new adventure…

 

We slept in sleeper train compartments. When we woke, we were somewhere in Mississippi! The train’s beautiful observation car made daydreaming easy…

We arrived in New Orleans where we spent the week writing and touring the sites.

Anne Rice’s (former) house!…

 

This gallery painting captivated me. New Orleans is full of history, culture, and art.

In December, I spent time putting my house in order—literally. I organized my home from top to bottom, and I’m happy to report it’s 98% done!

Projects I’d wanted to do for years finally got done. Now, I feel refreshed, and the clutter in my life has been drastically reduced, leaving my head clear to focus on writing and dreaming up new worlds.

I’m so excited for the year stretching out in front of us. What are your goals for 2019? I’d love to hear them. Leave a comment below!