Three years ago, we moved into a year in which the whole world locked down due to Covid-19. For a while it felt like the world would never be the same again. I started referring to the days before Covid as the ‘Before Times’.

As we start 2023, it does feel like the world is different, but Covid restrictions are largely over. Those early days of 2020, when we were all in full lockdown, sometimes feel like nothing but a bad dream. It’s not that Covid has gone away, but it feels like there are other concerns taking everyone’s attention at the moment, and Covid is just one more virus that we have to learn to live with.

I was working from home for over two and a half years, with the latter half of 2022 seeing us move into a new office. Since the beginning of September, I’ve been back in the office full time, going back to the daily commute into London.

All the other routines are moving back to the way they were in the ‘Before Times’ as well. I’m still keeping up with the swimming, even though I’m still getting up stupidly early, to get in a swim before going to the office. Book clubs, writing groups, and other such social groups are all largely back to meeting in person.

The one thing that is taking longer to get back is the writing. Since moving back to the office I’ve been able to turn my home office back into my study, and hence a writing room, which was one of the main reasons the writing stalled – that, coupled with a long-lasting bout of Imposter Syndrome that I’m still struggling with. Recently I’ve also started getting up stupidly early to go writing in a coffee shop before going to the office, which I used to do in the Before Times – and slowly, but steadily, the words are coming again.

So now we move into the ‘After Times’, and the end of what has been a very strange year, and not just because of the pandemic. The UK has had three Prime Ministers, four Chancellors and two monarchs since this time last year. There’s a lot of bad stuff going on in the wider world as well (war in Ukraine; sky-high energy prices; Cost of Living crisis) which does make it a little difficult to look to 2023 with any degree of optimism.

But sometimes the problems of the world seem too overwhelming, and you have to take one day at a time, which is what I am planning to do this year. I am pledging to get back to a regular writing routine. It doesn’t really matter if the words I write are any good, as long as I get them written down. A finished manuscript can always be edited, but you have to finish the manuscript first.

I also pledge to make regular updates to this blog, which has been sorely neglected the last three years.

I wish everyone a happy and productive 2023, no matter how big or small your goals are.