I try to do the one word thing each year, but I honestly can’t remember what my word was in 2023, 2022, 2021…you get the idea.

That made my word for 2024 more poignant (I think that’s the word I want): Focus.

I’m a middle school English teacher by day, and I swear my brain works like a 12-13 year old. It’s a bouncy ball, as in I bounce from one thing to the next without fully finishing the first thing. It’s like I see the next bright, shiny object and I leave behind what I was currently working on.

I’m betting on myself bigger this year than ever before as a writer and podcaster, and I know it’s going to take consistent focus. When I get home from school, I need to have a plan in place so that I can get right to work on writing a piece, revising, working on social media posts, putting my podcast together, working on interviews, etc.

More often than not, I get home and wonder what I’m going to work on. By the time I decide, I’ve wasted time or have allowed myself to get sidetracked.

So, this year I’m working on focus, finishing one thing before I start another.