The start of a new year brings many possibilities. Informed by an additional year’s worth of experience, and newfound awareness of time slipping through my fingers, it is no wonder I have aspirations for the year ahead.
Reading
Last year I resussitated my love of reading from the age-wearied grip of academia. In total, I read forty books in 2024, spanning a wide range of length, topic, and genre. Last year was one of rediscovery, learning what I enjoyed to read and where my comfort zone was.
This year, though I hope I can continue to enjoy reading, I would also like to extend myself beyond that comfort zone. Additionally, I hope to read with more intention, reflecting and thinking over what I’ve read in hopes to gain a deeper understanding not only of the story itself, but how it is crafted. I may even go as far as to note specific techniques used by authors by reading texts closely and analytically.
Writing
Considering the state of burnout that my degree left me in, it’s a wonder I have kept to writing at all. I reflect with pride that I began numerous projects last year– the beginnings of two novels and a handful of short stories– yet none achieved the completed state of a first draft.
I’d like to make more quantative progress this year. I’d like to immerse myself again in the regular practice of writing, perhaps sharing pieces here for feedback or the simple assurance that I’ve written something.
There are some smaller projects I’ve been wanting to work on; a self-produced magazine of short stories and submitting my work to literary magazines. I made some progress with both last year but would like to keep them at the forefront.
YouTube
Last year, I documented much of my reading journey on YouTube. I made friends with other readers, shared and received recommendations, and basked in the positivity the community surrounded me with.
In 2025, I hope to create videos more consistently and try new formats such as Vlogs or discussions. To encourage me to engage more critically or analytically with the books I read, I will focus more on Book Reviews. I hope to create a loose structure for these videos to avoid recounting the plot. Instead I could note what I enjoyed, what I didn’t, techniques used by author, references and themes used in the text, and how it relates to others of the same genre.
I’d also like to to work collaboratively with other BookTubers via a Litereary Podcast project. I’ve had plans for this podcast for a few years, with some friends and family eager to take part. I hope that 2025 will see it made reality.
Work
Last year I increased my contract working hours two-fold and trained up in my department, making my role more flexible to suit my team. This change has suited me well this year, though I am concerned for the long-term effects of the job’s physical demand. This year, I may increase my hours further or put in for overtime on a more regular basis.
In 2024 I applied to numerous work experience placements with no luck. I plan to continue applying for internships and work experience placements in the publishing sector, broadening the reach of my applications to more companies and initiatives than last year. Many select candidates randomly, so there is little I can do to enhance my applications, but applying to multiple at once could increase my chances of gaining valuable experience in this sector.
Notes
I hope you aren’t finding the introduction of the new year too intimidating. I’ve found ‘all-or-nothing’-type goal setting brings nothing but shame and guilt and, especially falling out of rhythm with an ambitious goal, total exhaustion. Sometimes the best opportunity that a new year brings is to rest.
Elmo Moorby 
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