3 things that made me a better writer in 2024

I don’t make end-of-year lists and I use Apple Music, so you won’t be seeing me post any notable round-ups for 2024. However, I do have a list of realizations that made me a better writer in 2024, does that count?

Then consider this my Spotify-Wrapped of writing!

If my personal insights help deepen your reflections, great. If this article gets you drafting your own conclusions, even better. And if you share them with me in the comments, I will be over the moon.

As I’m in the process of transferring my affections from Twitter to BlueSky, I’ll use some of my bookmarked tweets to summarize my points.

One. Put some order into your house

Taking half an hour every morning to tidy up the kitchen and clear my workspace before I open the laptop is now part of my daily schedule. My home doesn’t have to be spotless, just neat enough that should my mind wander, there is less to distract me. Before, I could escape the writing by washing dishes or folding laundry. Or if my anxiety was particularly high, I would feel so guilty about the state of my house that all writing would come to a standstill, so that I could fully commit to wallowing in my inadequacies.

Most days, when I look around, I see a quiet, happy house and I can dive back into the work with a peaceful heart.

Two. Accept that your writing may never reach a larger audience

Sit with the fact that you may never be traditionally published. This doesn’t mean that you’ve given up on the dream. Or that you’re a failure. Or that you’re okay with it never happening. What it does mean, is that once you’ve detached from the goal, once you’ve stepped away from the pressure of results, you can better focus on the actual writing.

As any average Buddhist will tell you, suffering is caused by an unwillingness to accept our current reality. But no matter how much you rage and despair over a situation, it won’t actually change your reality. So you may as well feel it out, reorient some priorities and then get back to work.

What makes me happy is writing. I do it for me. The act itself is joy enough. The rest will come in its own time. Or not!

Three. Clear out distractions

Or, as I also call it, put some order into your emotional house. Reflect on what relationships nourish you, what relationships drain you, and then move closer to the people who make you feel good, who challenge you, and who welcome the same love, respect and consideration from you.

I spent my 30s understanding my triggers, but I had to avoid some people because my nervous system was so reactive. In my 40s, I learned how to confront people who trigger my fears and how to react with compassion and grace. In my 50s? If I dive into a relationship, it’s because we both desire growth and we share the knowledge and skills to get us there. Anything else won’t stick around for long.

What does this have to do with writing? Because I interact with fewer people, and the interactions I do have are more nourishing, I spend less time cataloging dramas, recovering from draining interactions and managing the emotions of people who cannot care for themselves in the same way.

And in that space, I have more room for the creative downloads that generate good writing. Yes, my life is more quiet than it once was, but I have never been prouder of my writing.

As this year comes to a close, don’t forget to think about what writing goals you want to accomplish in 2025 and start laying the groundwork now. But also, may this holiday season bring you moments of rest, moments of joy and renewed optimism for the new year.

You have so much writing and success ahead of you, friends!