2021: What to Expect?!

New year, new me? Nah. Don’t be silly. But I do like to have a plan when I set off into a new year. Direction is always helpful, even if you’ve got no idea where circumstances will actually take you. Plus if you at least have a Plan A, then you can adapt to Plan B through to Z as the year progresses. So don’t hold me to any of this, but here’s my best shot at where I’d like 2021 to go.

Prefer audio? Listen to this blog post instead…

Travel

Haha, I know. Obviously this was going to be top of the list. Who on earth knows if any of it will actually happen. But after spending more time in the same place, often indoors, than ever before last year: I need to plan. In some ways, I don’t really care if the trips actually happen. I just like dreaming and scheming. If my framework’s good, I can just roll the plan on into the future.

So, in the dreamworld of my head, I’m already shaping up for an ironically busy 2021. I hope to see friends and family in the UK as soon as I can. I’d like to spend a couple of weeks enjoying Scottish Winter. Then I’ve got an idea for a long expedition in the Lakes later in the year. The GR20 across Corsica looks like great fun, so maybe I could do that in the summer. I also have a secret burning desire to go to Greenland and I tell you this only with the glimmer of hope that it’ll make it more real. Heck, at this point all plans are equally far-fetched, so I may as well say it! So, that’s my hand 2021. Your move.

Writing and Books

Dear reader, there will be books! Like I said last year, I wanted All the Tors to start the ball rolling. So you can expect at least one book from me in 2021. Maybe even two if I keep my fingers and toes crossed.

When I was made redundant back in October, I realised a sad truth: I have not been doing my best work on this site in a long time. I know exactly why. A big part of it was just how much I was (and am) doing elsewhere. Particularly as writing about adventure became my job, not just something I sneaked in out of hours. The blog was no longer the meticulously planned and well written writing outlet it was a few years ago. Which is fine: it’s okay to take your foot off the accelerator sometimes. Particularly when you’re driving several cars at once! But I’d like to get this blog’s mojo back in 2021.

With that in mind, I’ve had a Great Big Planning Session and started writing. Expect me to be getting back to twice weekly regularly (Monday and Thursday 7pm still.) There are lots of topics and stories in the pipeline that I’m excited to talk about. But, there is room for a bit more. So, if there’s anything you’d like to hear me cover, please just ask! I’m always happy to help or answer questions. Either email or drop me a comment at the bottom of this post.

Freelance Questing

Last year I had the first rude awakening since 2008 that there’s no such thing as job security. Not really. Or at least not in the complacent “it’s fine I’ve got a job” way. So, for the first time ever, this site has a serious Work with Me page. And I mean it. If you’d like to get me involved with one of your projects, I would love to hear from you. I’ve already got some interesting clients lined up for the first part of the year. Although going freelance came as a bit of a shock, I’m excited to be able to get involved with a broader range of work.

I’m also very much hoping to go on some trips (or otherwise collaborate) with some peers in this strange online world we live in. Basically, I’d like to make more adventure friends and acquaintances. Again, a probably side effect of 2020. So let it be known, I’m absolutely up for hazardous journeys with small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger and doubtful safe return. Honour and recognition in case of success. You know what I mean 😉

I’m also tentatively open to podcasts and interviews – with my own site also kind of open to guest posts in return. I say that because I’m already swamped with people after SEO backlinking and offering pre-written posts that they’ll pay me to post. Needless to say I rarely do more than hit the delete button. But, if you’re a real person with an indie blog trying to get in front of a wider audience, get in touch. Particularly if you’d like an interview along the lines of my of Adventure Careers series.

Roll on 2021

I’m sure there is more I wanted to say here. There are certainly other things I’d like to dabble in, like commiting to the audio blog (a-log? pod-log?) and monthly YouTube films. But heck, it’s already sounding like a busy year (feel free to subscribe to either just in case).

While I’m thinking about subscriptions, I’m definitely going to be doing more for the Adventure Squad and less for social media. For example, I might not always announce new posts into the noise. If you want to consistently hear from me, then sign up to the Adventure Squad list and get an email when I have something to say.

Now, with all those crazy ideas out, I want you to know that I have no hope in hell of doing all of that without some priorities. Picking a handful of big/important things to make happen focuses my attention and means I don’t beat myself up for not achieving on an impossible list. This is usually just 3 main things. For example, last year it was:

Publish a book
Get a Guinness World Record
Make my adventure planning workshop/course online

And yeah, I only actually finished two of those. Although the third is done, I just didn’t get around to doing anything with it!

So, over the next week or so, I’m going to pick three or four things that’ll be top projects of 2021. I’d highly encourage you to do the same, if you’re into planning like me!

Wishing you a very happy 2021. Or at least a better year than last year – which is setting the bar pretty low!