What is your WORD for the year? (From March 2025 Newsletter)

I know. I know, I'm SUPER duper late to the party. I mean it's March for goodness's sake! But I was watching a video on the Youtubes (Yes, this is how you actually say it) and the guy discussed how he chooses a word to focus on every year. He homes in on the core of that word and makes every decision and action centered around it. I loved that idea! So, I reflected on the years that passed and thought about what I had wanted to accomplish or learn and never got around to it... Then it hit me like a cast iron frying pan! My word is "FOCUS".

For me, 'focus' has been something I have been lacking in the past couple years. Ever since I began my author journey and completed my first book, I have become SUPER excited to write more. Similar to eating cashews, chips, or anything in a bag really... You can't just have one! However, the problem was that I had trouble balancing all my ideas. Not to mention, the podcast I had created and my day-to-day life.

Then when it came to writing something or completing a bigger project, I would get distracted by all the fun ideas and other things in life. I found myself running in circles, doing lots of things but accomplishing very little or nothing at all. Now, with "FOCUS" as my focus, I am making to-do lists, marking numbers on those lists with numbers to determine their priority. Finally, I am consciously NOT deviating from those projects until completion, or I physically can't progress with them for whatever reason.

Since selecting my word earlier this year, I have already put my newest novel in the hands of my beta readers, completed my very first audiobook, read two books on newsletters, started a monthly newsletter, created a Patreon, started my author Ryan M. Oliver YouTube channel, wrote three short stories, and have begun the process of learning new software to record, edit, and complete my second audiobook. It is amazing what happens when you FOCUS!