Welcoming 2025
I'm planning to use it well - are you?
I’m never sure how far into January we are supposed to say Happy New Year but I’ve waited a few days because nothing worth doing well is worth rushing. And “happy” is a bit vague, anyway. We each have our different definitions, different goals and different hurdles, some of which may make “happy” not really cut the mustard.
Let’s get specific. Whoever you are, here’s what I hope for you this year and certainly not just in the “new” part of it.
Increasing knowledge of how your body and mind/brain work, so that you can make them work better for you. (And so you can help the people you care about.)
Enough successes to keep you uplifted and fulfilled.
Enough failures to keep you challenged, analytical and determined.
Goals - small and/or big - which make sense for you, which are perfectly pitched to allow both failure and success, and which you can frequently tweak to work better.
It doesn’t matter whether you start this on Jan 1st, today, tomorrow or when you are ready. As I say, nothing worth doing well is worth rushing into.
Here are a few things I’m planning in my working life over the coming months, all of which will be announced here on Substack so, if you want to know about them as they happen (and be involved), make sure you’re subscribed. (It’s all free!)
You can expect:
Celebrations for the 20-year anniversary of Blame My Brain! Published in Sept 2005 and revised a few times since, it continues to be my best-known and best-selling title. There’ll be a competition, interviews and probably an online event. Be here to be there!
The competition will be of great interest to *UK schools. Don’t miss it. [*Edited: Actually, I hope to include schools anywhere in the world. Thanks to a reader who asked about involving schools outside the UK! I think this will be possible.]
New thoughts and new strategies to build your understanding of your own mind/brain and those of the people you care about. Topics including:
“Biofeedback” - what, why and how.
Focus on exam support for students - how parents can best help their resident examinees.
A look at each of the four legs of my Table of Wellbeing: food/water, exercise, sleep and relaxation.
Motivation theory - new insights from me, based on the science.
Book giveaways.
I’d love to do a live Ask Me Anything session. What do you think?
I’ll be announcing a webinar on Feb 5th, to coincide with and support Children’s Mental Health Week. This will be called “The Anxiety Guard Dog: turning anxiety into resilience” and organised by Authors Aloud, a wonderful organisation. Details very soon.
Insights into my life as a writer - including how my garden, vegetable-growing and cooking passions fit into that. With photos!
News of any fiction-writing that happens… THAT is what I need to make time for and that is currently my failure.
So, off to try to turn that failure into success…
Wishing you “happiness” in 2025, whatever that means for you.
