The Proud List

End of year stuff

I'm quite sure, in one way or another, we are all crawling/running towards the finish line of 2024.

c/o Netflix

The first draft of this letter felt quite negative, because I wrote it with full blown flu. I was dwelling on things I haven't done yet.

But beating myself up doesnt help anyone, least of all me. So, I rejigged it a couple of days later. It's all about perspective, right?

Instead of being disappointed or frustrated with things I haven't done (and bringing you all down with me) I've been kinder to myself and made this list of things I’m proud of myself for in 2024.

I highly recommend you make one, especially if you're flagging, just getting to a point where you can rest, or can see rest on the horizon.

Things I have done in 2024 that I'm proud of;

• Moved my website - I now have a shop and you can buy books directly from me. Hint hint 😏

• Planned for (still refining the plan) the book launch in Spring. It's a new thing I'm doing to release/launch and there's a lot of learning to do. 🤓

• Opened a business bank account. 💷

• Rewrote the next book, no biggie. ✍🏻

• Said goodbye to one cat and hello to another. 🐾

• Maintained and nourished some great friendships with women. Some who have had a lot of pain to deal with. 🫂

• Filled in a million forms for my two daughters neurodivergent assessments. One is now happily official. 🧠

• Said No to more things than previous years, and not felt bad about it. 🗝️

• Finally read The House of Leaves after my editor recommended it to me years ago. 📖Spoiler - I loved it.

• Completed yet more house renovations, not quite as dramatic as in 2023, but still disruptive and lots of head space used. 🏡

• Held the fort at home while my husband travelled extensively for work. This was often for weeks at a time. I'm not complaining; his job, and my support of him being able to do this type of work, enables us to have the things we need. ✈️

• Figured out the best dose for my ADHD (72mg, if you're curious) but then basically went back to raw dogging life (without meds) because I can't get any due to shortages. 🙄

• My word for 2024 was Grounded. Reading this list, I've think I've done pretty well to stay grounded and steady this year. It hasn’t felt like that all the time of course, but I've aspired toward it. 🌳

🔜 Coming soon;

• I'll share more definitive news on The Dark Beneath Us, and it's release.

• I'm toying with the idea of hosting a Read-Along of a book that is very dear to me. It'd be a slow read. I need to sit down with it over the holidays and figure out how to break it up for reading and discussion. But if I can manage to get that done, I'd be thrilled if you joined me.

• You want a clue about the book? In 2025, it'll be 20 years since it was released. 🧐

You'll next hear from me in late January 2025. Until then, take care of yourself. See you on the other side.

Xx