personal

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! Bonne année! Frohes Neues! 🙂

Wishing you all a wonderful year: full of laughter, love, small and big moments of happiness and good health. 🙂

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My word for 2015

I have set some blogging and reading goals for 2015, and I have also some personal goals like “take care of myself and be gentle with myself” as I highlighted for the #12DaysofBooks organized by YA Buccaneers.

#12DaysOfBooks

 

For the few past years, I’ve also chosen a word (or words) for the year. In 2013, it was PERSEVERANCE and ENJOY. In 2014, I chose BALANCE.

And both in 2013 & 2014, I wrote things that still resonate quite a bit with present Elodie.

  • In 2013, I wrote “But…I also need to fully enjoy the happy moments like those ones. I need to not be afraid of what could come and look forward to what I can make happen.”
  • And in 2014, “Another element is to let go of the things I cannot control and of the negative talk (–> this one is really tough). You know the one I am talking about: “I should have had, I shouldn’t have had, it shouldn’t be, it will never…

I  need to let go of whatever I cannot change (yes. feel free to sing Let It Go, I know I am :P)

My word for 2015 is PRESENT  (it’s the same as Katy’s. I probably could have copied her entire post on that one) and I think it encompasses what 2013 & 2014 Elodie wrote in this blog. I want to be present in the moment, I want to really pay attention, I want to enjoy the laughs fully, I want to pause and give my full attention to the little moments that make the big ones, and the big moments which are made of so many little ones.

I want to be present.

Do you have a word for 2015?

writing

My word for 2014 is…

BALANCE

Source: Sarah Janes Studio Website Credit: Sarah Janes

When I looked back at my resolutions and goals for 2013, I realized that as always many were left in the dust and many are still dear to my heart (like spending more care-free moments with my hubby aka without the blackberry, doing more sports, baking and cooking more…).

On the 1st of January last year, I wrote as one of my goals:

Finding more of a balance. Work has been insane last year. And while I don´t think it will slow down in 2013, I need to find better ways to deal with it. Especially since my hubby will probably travel more and his schedule will get even busier.

I was right in the sense that work didn’t slow down and that my hubby was even busier. But that balance idea kind of didn’t happen and I yearn for it.  Part of it is to make sure I make the time to do the things that are important to me. Another element is to let go of the things I cannot control and of the negative talk (–> this one is really tough). You know the one I am talking about: “I should have had, I shouldn’t have had, it shouldn’t be, it will never…”

While I don’t have the magic recipe for it, I do have some goals which I hope will help in this regard:

  • Dedicate more time to the people important to me (including me)
  • Jog with my hubby at least once a week (yes it means waking up at 4.45 am but I do feel more serene after it)
  • Workout another time during the week
  • Revise DADDY’S LITTLE ANGEL (it should go to my dear and lovely CPs by beginning of February)
  • Query DADDY’S LITTLE ANGEL
  • Start a new project
  • Writing down every night 3 things that made me smile
  • Finally use Google Hangout to chat with some of the friends I made online
  • Join RWA
  • Read 50 books (I even started a Goodreads challenge :-))
  • Take more pictures

What are you looking forward to in 2014?

writing

HAPPY NEW YEAR – 2013 here we come :-)

Happy New Year BubblyHappy New Year!

Wishing you health, happiness, love and lots to smile about for you and your loved ones…

When I look back at my resolutions for 2012, I realize I´ve accomplished some of them, but others were left in the dust.

Last night, on our back to my MIL´s place after a fun evening at my in-laws, a French song came on the radio. And I started singing out loud, a smile on my face, even dancing a little. I felt happy and like I could do anything I set my mind to.

I´d like to keep some of this feeling all year long. I know there will be ups and downs. I know I cannot plan every single thing and that there will be moments I want to curl up in a ball and cry. But…I also need to fully enjoy the happy moments like those ones. I need to not be afraid of what could come and look forward to what I can make happen.

And I´m going to start with THE JAN PLAN – brainchild of Fabulous Christa. In January, I will finish one project.

See last year, I wanted to finish PLAYING WITH FIRE, revise it, and query it. Well…I did finish it, revised it but then realized it needed a rewrite. Instead, I wrote an entirely new book, revised it (several times) and even started querying it before I entered it in PitchWars.  There, not only was I chosen as an alternate by the lovely Dahlia, I also received some feedback on how I could make ONE TWO THREE stronger.

I thought long and hard about the suggestions and comments…and started revising. Again. And wow…I mean…wow. This revision is kicking my butt. Don´t get me wrong, all my revisions were tough but I feel like this one is helping me connect even more with my characters and I think it makes the story shine.

But…I´m only on Chapter 6  and I need to be done with it by the end of January, as even the alternates for PitchWars will be showcased on a blog for agents to look through should they wish to.

I´m on a deadline. And with JanPlan I can also get inspired by all those participating and cheer them on as I work hard to meet that deadline.

What else am I planning to achieve in 2013?

  • Write GUILTY, revise it and maybe query it (if ONE TWO THREE doesn´t find a home…)
  • Do more sports aka stop fighting my husband when he wakes me up to go jog. I do love jogging but sometimes the leaving the comfort of my bed to go jog during the week is tough.
  • Finding more of a balance. Work has been insane last year. And while I don´t think it will slow down in 2013, I need to find better ways to deal with it. Especially since my hubby will probably travel more and his schedule will get even busier.
  • I´m taking part in the Debut Author Challenge – to read and review at least 12 Debut Authors this year. I´ll share the list of Debut I am planning to read this year later on, but I can already tell you I´m quite excited about this year of reading.
  • Find a way to spend more time with my family-even if it´s only on Skype.
  • Enjoy more care-free moments with my hubby (and my cat),and more me-time.
  • I want to cook more, and bake more.
  • Attend the SCBWI conference in Paris.
  • Meet some of my dear blogger/Twitter friends IRL 😀
  • And many more…

My words for 2013?

Several lovely ladies (including Katy and Erin) last year picked a word as resolution…They were inspired by Jessica Corra who instead of coming up with resolutions picked a Word of the Year as she explained: Resolutions are too compartmental, too specific and practical. I prefer a word, an attitude, a way of being.

As you can see, I still like to have some goals and resolutions for a given year but I think there´s a certain way of being that goes along with them.

So for 2013, I ´ll pick two words:

PERSEVERANCE and APPRECIATE

What are you looking forward to in 2013?