The holidays have come and gone. We’ve celebrated the new year and a new decade. What do we do now? I had a few friends on social media who decided they were going to find a word to tag the new year with. There were a lot of examples and most of them were pretty good, but didn’t seem to fit what I was looking for. Finally, I landed on a word that was right for me. ‘Focus’.

I’ve been a published author going on seven years. Novels, novellas, short stories, blog posts, and book signings have been part of what I’ve done during the last decade. But, there were still things I wanted to do. Getting a website up and running was one goal I hadn’t reached yet. Also, trying my hand at a subgenre with my MM writing was a goal. Being more active on social media is a must for any Indie author and I also added that to my list of things. Sure, these are goals, but what would it take to get all that done in 2020. ‘FOCUS’.

Yes, that’s what I need. It’s so hard for an author to juggle the many hats most of us wear. Spouse, partner, parent, employee, child to aging parents, and let us not forget our friendships to people that we have connected to. Some of us are soul bread winner in our family. Some of us spend time helping our parents adjust to their aging bodies and illnesses. Not to mention those of us who have children and grandchildren, whether still at home, under foot, or grown; they need us. Some of us even try to do laundry and cook meals on an everyday basis. And, then there’s all the things you do to get your stories out there. Marketing, social media, book signings, sharing your peers work, being a presence online, and let us not forget… writing those stories!

So, how can focus help me in 2020? Well, focus might help me prioritize the things that I need to do. Keeping in mind that there has to be a balance between all those hats I need to wear. Use programs, apps, planners, calendars, and good advice, to help me get to the end of 2020 with the feeling that I accomplished what I sat out to do. Focus will help me be able to take care of business and family, and know when I need to shuffle things to make room for what’s important. It will also help me focus on me.

When I need a break, I should take it. If that means, staying off social media for a day or two, to refocus myself; then I should do that. If I don’t get the rest I need and feel good about me, how can I be the best I can be for my family and my business. In my calendar for 2020, I’ve penciled in time for me. Going out with friends, getting a cup of coffee and reading a book, long walks in the forests of the Great Smoky Mountains are all things that refresh and renew me as a person. I’ll focus on that in 2020.

I’m happy to say that even with barely a week into the new year, I’ve already accomplished two of the things I wanted to do this year. My website is up and looking wonderful and I’m releasing my first paranormal MM story on January 27 with another to follow in March and May. The year is off to a good start. Oh there will be bumps, there always is, but for now I’m focused on making 2020 the very best year I can. How about you?

CJ Baty