Goals for 2025

It’s been a few years since I published a post specifically to set out my goals for the year, but I’m going to do that now. This time I’ll try to keep it realistic and achievable. Anyhow, this is what I’m planning!

Goals for 2025

Back in February 2021, I took the Clifton Strengths test which ranks your personal strengths. The idea is that you will see the biggest improvement in the things you are naturally strongest at, so that is the best place to develop. The initial test reveals your top five and then you have to pay to unlock the rest. Over the holidays, they had a sale so I decided to see my full list. It was informative and also not that surprising, which I think lends to the credibility of the test. Anyhow, my top three strengths are Futuristic, Analytical, and Strategic which means I absorb and analyse information that informs better decisions. Of course, these strengths also come with some weaknesses such as I often overplan and over-analyse. So, in an attempt to work with my strengths better, I’m coming up with a far simpler plan for 2025.

1. Health

I need to focus more on my health, both mentally and physically. A big part of that comes from having time to do the rest of the things on this list, so it’s good that things are interconnected in some way. I definitely need to increase my exercise again as the holidays made it very hard to find time. My goal for this is going to be to reach 10km a day according to my tracker on my phone. That will include walking Gus and time on the treadmill, plus everything else I do during the day. My average for 2024 was 7.6km so I will have to put some effort in. I’m also making changes to diet and sleep, but those aren’t as easy to quantify.

2. Writing

I’ve just started writing again and while I have lots of incomplete stories and plans for epic serials, I am going to aim to finish one complete book. That will mean writing the first draft and all of the edits that follow. It’s been a long time since I published anything so it would be great to release a completed book so that I can then build on that momentum.

3. Art

Since I’m looking to create a book similar to light novels, I’m going to need some artwork to go inside the book. I’ll also need a cover. On top of that, I would love to create enough art to be able to put together a companion art book to go with my novel. I have some anime books from Japan that feature character designs and images from the anime. It would be cool to have something similar for my book. So, my goal is to complete the artwork needed for the novel. Then, I can look at pulling together enough pieces for a companion art book.

4. Watching

I’ll be watching anime every time I go on the treadmill, which hopefully will be most days. There are several shows that I have planned on watching this year to review for the Otaku Author and probably many more that I’m not aware of yet. In 2024, I watched 629 episodes of anime. My goal is to watch more.

5. Reading

Similar to watching anime, I want to read more manga. Last year, I read 159 volumes and surprise, surprise, I’d like to beat that in 2025. Not least because I don’t seem to be able to stop buying more… Reading manga and watching anime is a massive part of how I relax and unwind. I can feel my mood change when I haven’t been able to fit any in.

6. Blogging

And this is the final piece of the puzzle and the one that links everything together. I published 448 posts in 2024 and unlike the last couple of goals, I’d like to reduce that number. My goal is 365, keeping up with my daily posts. If I get to the point where I’ve discovered more bandwidth then, more will come, but I’m not planning on it. At some point, I would love to start posting chapters from my book, but that depends on me completing it.

This year, I’m going to keep things as simple as possible, which is why I’ve set out six areas to work on and given myself achievable goals that won’t overwhelm me. I’ve also not set any goals that are outside of my control. Sure, I’d like more views, more comments, more likes, and more subscribers, but I can’t change that, beyond being engaging and fun. I’m going to change my Author Journey posts to reflect this new path and will be reflecting on my progress each week.

Hopefully, I’ll be able to look back at the end of the year and be able to mark them all as completed. I think these six things will go a long way to helping me to relax and have a more enjoyable year all around. So, I’ll be back on Monday to restart my Author Journey and provide my first check-in of the year. Thanks for reading!

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