It’s the final month of 2014. It’s a time for wrapping things up, but it’s also a time to think about new beginnings. As a matter of fact, in the Episcopal Church, Advent is the beginning of the New Year. We’re just kind of rebels that way.
Anyway, I have a lot of goals for this new month. And I know it’s going to be a busy month, so I should probably get a head start on all of them!
My first December goal is to finish at least one of my works in progress. I genuinely believe I can finish the first draft of the Chick Lit YA book that I began working on for NaNoWriMo. It’s just been so easy to write and it’s a whole lot of fun. I’m thinking (or at least hoping) that I might be able to get it out fairly quickly.
My next goal is to put together a Jones Family History Scrapbook in time for our semi-annual holiday get-together. I’ve been doing a lot of research into both sides of my family tree. At first, I thought my dad’s side was more interesting than my mom’s, but that’s only because he had a lot more to find at the beginning. It turns out on my mom’s side there are Sons of the American Revolution, Lords, Ladies, Kings, Queens, and Native Americans. I thought that was SO cool, especially because I’ve lived my entire life thinking that I was fully European. But as it turns out, my 9th great-grandmother was a member of Powhatan tribe. It’s all so fascinating to me, so Im really looking forward to sharing it with my family. Thankfully, I don’t think any of them actually read this blog, so it should be a surprise. I’ve also stared an Ancestry board on Pinterest to kind of sort of help me keep track of everybody.
https://www.pinterest.com/jackiesmith114/ancestry/
Third goal is to clean out and donate all the stuff I no longer use. This is actually kind of a never ending goal as every time I get rid of stuff, more stuff seems to appear out of nowhere to take its place. I still haven’t quite worked out the physics of this phenomenon, but I am constantly trying to overcome it. I’d love to be a person who exists with as few material goods as possible. I really don’t like clutter and I don’t like spending money on stuff that I don’t need and rarely use. Unfortunately, I’m also a very sentimental person and I have a hard time giving away gifts or things that meant a lot to me or someone I love.
Fourth goal is, as always, to keep spreading the word about Cemetery Tours and hopefully get some holiday book sales! Ghosts are great for Christmas! Doesn’t everyone know this? Hey, only three days in and already 137 have signed up to enter my new Giveaway! If that isn’t an awesome Christmas present, I don’t know what is!
https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/117688-between-worlds
What are some of your holiday/end of the year goals?
A Platform of Sorts 
Love your goals. I’m seriously about to hop on over to ancestry.com myself if it’s helping you find out all that stuff about your family. There are so many different sides of mine that I’ve become increasingly more interested in compiling it all not only for myself but for any future gremlins in my future. They’re gonna come from so many different ethnicities and cultures that I wanna prepare them for the mayhem by looking into the past, but of course also for myself. Do you just go on there and… sign up???
I really look forward to this YA chick lit you’re so excited to be writing, by the way. :]
Jackie, it is so cool that you went to find out about your family tree . Back in my country of El Salvador our ancestors were Indians. Your goals are so cool. I threw most of my useless stuff from my room and donated my old books to the library. So, my room won’t be clogged. My future goal is to finish my writing classes, and be published. Have a great Christmas and New year’s eve and day!!! 🙂