There’s something funny about January 1.

For many, November (and sometimes even December) mark the beginning of a surge in activity. As the new year approaches, we find ourselves simultaneously working extra hard in the workplace and at home, as we strive to be ready for all that is expected of us.

At the same time, it’s also a period of celebration, when many gather to celebrate and renew social and familial bonds, and enjoy the many opportunities that arise as holidays draw closer.

And then the day comes, a strange mix of celebration and survival, and when it’s over, we hardly know what to do with ourselves. All the things we needed to do fall away, and we’re left reeling.

Part of us needs the respite, a true vacation where we let go of obligations and just relax.

But another part continues to push, an instinctive drive to keep at it, lest things build up and overwhelm us. And it can be hard to ignore that insistent warning, which has guided us for so many weeks.

And for many it’s not over. It’s just begun! We look ahead to another year, and already there’s work to be done, new year’s resolutions, projects, and the “need” to get back in motion, “start the year right/strong”.

For my part, I try to limit myself to one definitive new year’s resolution, how many hours I’ll spend on writing in the coming year. Because the truth is, if I could somehow afford to quit my day job tomorrow, I wouldn’t be able to put in 40 hours a week to writing, not even close. But I’m getting better. This past year I managed to spend 530 hours on writing. My goal for the coming year is to increase that to 550.

Looking back at Write Thoughts, 2018 saw 64 new posts, bringing the total up to 238, the indexes continue to grow, both writing (https://write-t.com/writing-index/) and review (https://write-t.com/review-index/), and over 1,000 users chose to visit almost 3,000 times.

Thank you all for taking the time to read my words, and share some of your own. Writing can be a difficult road, and often feels rather lonely, but the reality is we are never alone, unless we wish to be, and while we may desperately strive to “get there”, the truth is a writer is simply someone who chooses to write, and it’s important to remember that we can choose to write our stories, but some part of the creative process will always be outside of our control, some rare convergence that helps us to turn simple words into true magic. And that is a good thing, because it means that all we have to do is keep writing, and welcome that strange magic whenever it chooses to return.

To all the writers, and the dreamers, thank you.