Well, I made a kind of plan for Q2, so that makes it time for a Q2 2025 review. Plus, to keep it company, a Q3 2025 plan.

Sort of.

Q2 2025 review

The plan was to keep creating new routines (also known as habits), and adding feedback loops to keep me engaged in the “work.”

The goals were:

Goal #1: Stay married to DB

Who-hoo! Still married.

Plus, since his hospitalisation, the opportunity to provide care for him instead of the other way around.

Goal #2: Take better care of my health

This one hasn’t gone so well – weight, cholesterol and glucose levels all up.

While it seems I’m doing most of the right things (eating, moving and sleeping), menopause is throwing a rather large spanner in the work.

I’m joining a transplant lifestyle study through the hospital, but if there’s little or no improvement over the next quarter, we’ll be reassessing my drug mix.

I really hope this study makes a difference.

Goal #3: Stephen King famous

Not doing so well on this one either.

I asked ChatGPT to research me, and it basically told me I don’t exist.

So while it’s search was clearly inadequate, it’s probably also an indication I need to do more to raise my profile.

Though I suppose it didn’t help that I did NOT write every day. Nor did I publish 17 stories in three collections either.

I managed three separate stories…

I did manage to teach myself enough InDesign to get them out, so I’m happy about that.

Learnings from my Q2 2025 review

I noticed:

1. I am still trying to plan more hours than I can feasibly work
2. I do a lot of things that aren’t actually in the plan, e.g., responding to emails.

It seems I ought to do something about that.

Q3 2025 Plan

With Q3 promising extra uncertainty and appointments for both DB and me, it seems an excellent time to practise planning less.

Goal #1: Stay married to DB

Keystone activities

• find and cook healthier versions of his favourite meals
• do the chores that annoy him the most when they don’t get done
• never move anything he puts down
• help him put his socks and shoes on without complaining…

Goal #2: Take better care of my health

Handily this is a two for one – taking better care of me should also take better care of DB.

So that’s going to mean taking a red hot go at following the lifestyle instructions given to me through the lifestyle study.

While continuing to prioritise sleep.

Goal #3: Stephen King Famous

And that’s another sigh from me.

With all the other stuff, my writing will probably take a back seat for at least this quarter. It’s hard to write when the universe is rearranging itself, so once it settles, I can spare more brain space for fiction.

Not to mention that here Down Under, we’re suddenly well ensconced in tax time, which means I need to get my financial affairs in order and get my tax returns lodged. And that’s probably going to take the rest of the quarter.

But if I could get something published… I’d be happy.

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You can find my monthly reports and other planning related information on the Life Worth Living page.