Resolutions for 2020 and shining a light

I love resolutions. For me, they provide space for self-reflection and realignment with better strategies for getting through life. They also allow for awareness.

Awareness is about shining a spotlight on all areas and not just the ones we want to talk about. Therefore, I won’t pick my own categories to explore. If it was down to my initial thoughts I imagine it would just be family, writing and reading, and running. Instead, I’m using the 12 astrological houses that cover a much broader outlook on life.

One thing I never seemed to find time for last year was for setting up a Patreon for those wanting to support me on my writing, researching and knitwear designing journey. With these teeny tiny amount of time I’ve eeked out to write this post, I’ve also finally completed my setup. If you’d like to support me then sign up below or just visit to see what’s going on.

Become a Patron!

For now, I’m working on resolutions and awareness. Let me know if you’d like more information on what each of the houses stands for and how you can use them.

House 1 — Outlook and appearance

1. Investigative — asking questions; actively
2. Streamlined — running, being more active, fewer hours sitting down
3. Brighter coloured hair
4. New trainers

House 2 — Finances

1. Start posting a monthly yarn subscription service on Etsy
2. Article commissioning — pitch articles monthly
3. Editing at more organised times to allow for other work (10a to 3pm? 9.30am to 2.30pm? something to work on)
4. Publishing a knitting pattern at least once a month
5. Building up mailing list by posting once a week
6. Pitching one knitting article a month
7. Setting up a Patreon and WordPress.com site for patterns
8. Work on financial stability
9. Financial freedom
10. Think of a monthly amount to earn?
11. I’ve been using Plum (affiliate link) for regular tiny savings that have added up. Super helpful.

House 3 — Communications

Journalism

1. Write about local action actions and how they exercise their authority
   1. Glyphosates
   2. £500 spending
2. Pitch articles
3. Find commissioning editors — get to know them

Writing

1. Screenplay of the Thin Blue Line
2. Write a fiction book — 1912
3. Publish a book (the knitting book, probably)
4. Blog posts — at least once a week.
5. Set up and promote my Patreon [the year of creating and crafting!]
6. Mailing list — regular posts

House 4 — Home

1. Replace carpet with floorboards
2. Get rid of unnecessary items in the flat — aim for more space
3. Curtains for two windows
4. New bunk beds

House 5 — Knitting

1. Publish the Advent Calendar pick and mix as a book
2. Write a press release and send it to knitting magazines
3. Create one new pattern a month
4. Build up my knitting mailing list
5. Get to know knitters on Ravelry
6. Work on my Joanna Booth Designs website

House 6 — Health, routines, service

1. Regular intake of vitamin D and iron
2. Running regularly
3. Sports massages once a month
4. Foam roller
5. Meal planning
6. Organising cupboards in kitchen
7. Run 25-50 miles a month
8. Finish couch to 5k
9. Run two half-marathons
10. Run one marathon
11. Run six park runs
12. Do three exercise classes a week
13. Log each activity on Strava.

House 7 — Relationships

1. Finding a good babysitter
2. One date night/lunch a month

House 8 — Zen practice

1. Read through each Cheri Huber book again
2. Meditate — starting with five minutes a day and aiming for twenty
3. Make space for the zen podcasts; four a week
4. Read the Buddha, Geoff and Me again
5. Read Ram Dass
6. Read the Compassionate Revolution

House 9 — Culture and higher education

Selfie PhD

1. Publish an article about my selfiePhD
2. Show up with the skype calls
3. Maintain the SelfiePhD blog with at least one post a week
4. Read and makes notes on at least four articles a week — to begin with

Reading/literature

1. Read the world in 2020

Research

1. Further studies into NLP and hypnosis
2. Bristol novel/literature
3. Bristol knitting heritage
4. Local council and property developer literature

Videojournalism

1. Finish my NCTJ video-journalism course
2. Work on my documentary –
   1. Interviews with Conservative and Labour cllrs
   2. interviews with officers
   3. Put clips together and storyboard it

House 10 – Business and professional outlook

1. Make money from writing
   1. Pitch at least one article a month
   2. Write three/four articles a month — knitting, local government, book review, selfie PhD
   3. Publish one pattern a month
   4. Build up the Joanna Booth Designs business
2. Literary agency work
   1. …
3. Editing
   1. Maintain regular hours
   2. Promote?

House 11 – Networks/groups

1. Bristol Libraries Forum
2. Western Harbour
3. Local council groups
4. Ravelry forums
5. Indie publisher groups

House 12 – Hidden, institutions

1. Research into prisons?
2. Revive communications that have lapsed?

 

I feel like I should sign off with a conclusion but I’m not sure what I’d add. There are a whole host of things I want to add but I’m not sure where they fit in the pockets of the year. I want to work on my tiny habits, for example, which I found to be a way of getting me reading and writing a few years ago. They also got me started with cryptic crosswords that I always wanted to do but never got around to starting. Not sure where I’d add that in my items.