Last year was not always the happiest year.

I don’t really want to get into detail here. Needless to say, there were a few “speed bumps” I had to negotiate, on both personal and professional levels. But as the purpose of this blog is not to air all my personal issues, that’s as much as I’m going to say about that.

And I certainly don’t need to go on about what happened in the world at large. There were no shortage of calamitous events, making any thinking person want to tear their hair out and grieve for the fate of humanity. There has already been plenty said about all of these things. I don’t feel that I need to add to the volume of those words.

As we head into 2016, nobody has any idea what is in store. I don’t know if I’m likely to have an easier year, personally or professionally. And nobody can say for sure what will happen in the wider world, and whether we’ll see any repetition of the ghastly events of last year. To be honest, there isn’t a lot most of us can do about any of it.

But no matter how things turn out, there is one thing I know I am going to try to do.

After being faced with so much unpleasantness in 2015, I have made a firm resolution about how I plan to face the coming year. I’m going to face it with joy.

When I wake up every day, I’m going to address the world with joy. Not with some sort of vacuous “Hello sun, hello sky” kind of thing. But with an attitude of getting the most of my time. Whether at work or with my family or friends, I’m going to make every moment as enjoyable for me, and everyone around me, as I can.

I want to extend this philosophy to my writing as well. As I mentioned last week, I have a few ideas swirling around for a new novel. One of the reasons I haven’t made a start on it as yet is because my mind was in such a negative state I couldn’t figure out how to turn those ideas into a story that worked for me. This year I want it to be different. I want to take those ideas and concoct them into the wildest, craziest, funniest story I can, absolutely brimming with joy. I don’t plan on cutting out the dark bits. I want to write a story that engages with the world and all its complexities. But in the end I want readers to come out enthused and joyful. I don’t think that’s an unreasonable expectation.

Hope your year is also filled to the brim with joy.