One of my all-time favorite things to do is change goals. Did I say favorite? I meant frustrating. There’s so much to life that it feels like an insult not to want to do everything. The downside? It usually leaves me unable to do much of anything. And then I get frustrated, and either forget about it or give up. It’s taken decades, but I’m finally building on my interests at a more relaxed pace than I’d like. Yet, most importantly, I’m still doing them.

This year, I went to Japan. I wanted to learn the language, so I’ve bought a lifetime subscription to Rosetta Stone. Never used it. Not even during Covid when I got it. Instead, I wound up playing Duolingo. It was helpful, but even after a year of using it daily, I still feel pretty bad at the language. I’ve got a poster up in my office with the hiragana symbols to remind myself to study.

Yes, I’m still studying Japanese. It’s one of the few hobbies I’ve been keeping. I do need to switch it up, though, since my method is learning a very small amount every day. Maybe 5 minutes. It’s good to do, but I could be doing more. 10 minutes is at least a nominal improvement opportunity. Sometimes I do that. What’s important, though, is keeping on with it. Every little bit helps.

So, maybe writing the blog hasn’t been as productive as I’d wanted it to be by now. But I am writing. And I’m writing my novel, too. Even if I am getting frustrated with the main novel that I thought I’d gotten properly hammered out, I’ve got a backup book to keep my writing going even if I feel blocked. It’s helping me to make progress. I don’t know if I’ll get a single draft finished by the end of the year, but I hope so. It’s my goal to finally fulfill my promise to myself of writing a book, and I plan to keep it.