I know some people find snakes terrifying, but I love the symbolism of shedding the old to start fresh. The idea of letting go and changing being a wise choice is also motivating. While I normally celebrate January 1 for this reason, I’m embracing a different approach and starting now…in April.

Want to join me on a journey of transformation?

I do plan to post more here, but I’ve also restarted my Patreon page and am focusing my activity there. I do have free options so monetary support isn’t a requirement. In truth, it’s a way to help me maintain discipline, consistency, and follow through. I’ve always said that I’m great at planning but terrible at execution…and it’s kinda true. That doesn’t mean I can’t change and do it one tiny post, one word, one story at a time.

What would you like to accomplish in 2025? Feel free to share your thoughts here or on my Patreon page. If you need some accountability to help you along, writing the words and sharing them with others is a great way to do it.

Jot down 1 thing to do today.

We shouldn’t focus on past failures but we can’t count on future success either. We have today.

So, again…what’s one thing you want to do today?

For me, it’s this post and relaunching Patreon. These are only the first steps though. Because I am a planner, I’ll continue working on my current novel draft. I try not to have word count goals, but I do like to give a focused effort independent of output. Mornings are the best for me which is why this will be written/ posted around 6:30am.

Do you know your best action periods? Are you an eat the frog kind of person? Maybe you uses spoon/ fork theory? Does monk mode work for you?

I never understood the power of ‘to thine own self be true’ until I was way out of school. The meaning has changed for me too. With martial arts training came a focus on situational awareness…and a different awareness of myself.

We can’t shed that old skin without knowing just what it is. We can’t transform without knowing our ending goal and starting point.

For this type of awareness journey is new for you, I’d like to share a warning, so to speak. Sometimes, we have to move ahead without clear direction or knowledge. We need to change where we are to see any possible new paths and to see ourselves clearly. This means what we ‘know’ may change just as we may change. The end goal may shift. It was hard to accept that the first time I made it somewhere and realized I no longer wanted to be there.

The better I know myself, the better my choices are and the more effective my plans are (which does allow me to execute them better).

To thine own self be true, my friends.

Yes, I do align this thought with having honor…and being a warrior. It’s why I love my Rahki world and why I’m returning to it with a new novel this year. I definitely have plans for this year, but I’m also open to new, as yet unseen, possibilities. It’s a difficult balance to strike for me. Just knowing that about myself helps me handle it differently though.

Let’s end this ramble with just a little more advice for those considering where they are and where they want to be.

Breathe, move, and relax.

Any journey takes more than one step. Any journey may include more than one stumble. You can embrace the Snake. Shed the old and focus on the new.

Breathe, keep moving, and relax. You’ve got it – it is your year and your transformation.

I wish each of you the best on your journey,
-RSJ

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