For several years, my brother and I had a New Year’s Eve tradition that was maybe slightly unusual. He and I shared an office in the house, the room divided on a diagonal with our desks on either side, and on the last day of each year, we would go down to the room in the morning, plug in a playlist of music from the past year, and do a deep clean of the space. We’d throw out all the papers we no longer needed, or rearrange the bookshelves, or set up our workspaces in whichever way we thought would work best for the new year.
He moved out this past year, but I’m planning to keep the tradition alive this December 31. There’s something nice about having a chance to reset and recenter yourself before embarking on a new set of goals and projects. In a way, that’s what New Year’s resolutions and planning sessions offer as well. I can put what I accomplished last year in its place of honor, dust off those projects I didn’t quite complete, and rearrange my calendar to make sure it’s set up exactly the way I want it to be.
Those goals won’t stay that pristine for the next twelve months, nor will my writing desk. I’m sure, before long, I’ll wind up with a stack of books sitting beside the shelf instead of on it and a pile of surprise projects that require me to make space for them in my schedule. But even if your workspace and your goals evolve throughout the year, starting off with a clean space and a plan will help you reflect on all the amazing things you did in 2024 and feel prepared to tackle 2025. We hope this month’s issue gives you some ideas for where to start and the tools you’ll need to stay productive.
Happy New Year, authors! Here’s wishing you clean-ish writing desks and plenty of exciting projects to tackle once the confetti has finished falling at midnight.
Nicole Schroeder
Editor in Chief
