T'was the eve before Christmas Eve,
And all through the house,
Not a creature was stirring,
Because we were all bed-ridden with flu.
It seems apt that I am going to end 2024 on a low note, coughing and wheezing to the finish line, feeling my age in my weary bones. It was a year of dismay, trudging from one disappointment to the next. I don't mean to sound like a pessimist, but it was a year I'd rather forget. It felt like I was constantly running a race to keep up with life, only for my trousers to keep falling down, sending me sprawling face-first into a path of bloody red ash.
There were a few highlights. A week in the Highlands. Deadpool Vs Wolverine. My short film playing at a handful of festivals. My first visit to Copenhagen. All of these little moments were fleeting, overshadowed by the loss of a dear friend. In truth, I am still processing the overwhelming sense of grief and sadness that 25 years of friendship amasses when it is torn away. While many will remember 2024 for the year the political landscape lurched to the right, I will remember it as the year a bright light was stolen from us, from the world...
Sorry. This is not the blog post I sat down to write. It was going to be a funny, self-deprecating jaunt about how I achieved none of my goals set out at the start of 2024 (see Starting the year as I mean to go on). In summary:
Start a podcast - nope
Watch 365 films - nope (I'd be lucky if I scratched 50)
Finish writing the third Spirits of Vengeance book - nope
Write a couple of screenplays - nope and nope
Keep my websites and social media up to date - nope
Volunteer for an animal charity - nope
Use the paddle board I bought and never opened - nope
Read more books - nope
The only target I came close to hitting was walking 5000 kilometres. Taking my average, I've walked about 3,850 kilometres. Which is better than nothing.
I could say I achieved nothing, but that's incorrect. I got up every day. I worked two jobs. I adapted to being a dad. I survived. I endured. I quit Twitter.
By now you will have seen many other posts about what people achieved in 2024. It's possible to be happy for them, while not comparing yourself to them. You will have your year. You just need to keep turning up and putting in the work.
I'm going into 2025 carrying a bit more armour, and weighing up a few more plans. Maybe I'll finally start that podcast. Maybe I'll write two books! Thankfully my life has a bit more stability to its shape, allowing me to stick to a schedule where I can plan when I record, when I edit, when I write, and when I play video games! Crafting a weekly schedule felt oddly refreshing. I'd highly recommend it.
So here's to 2025, the year I claim back my creativity.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
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