The Rush to 2011

As the year draws to a close, best-of-the-year posts are popping up everywhere. It seems as if no one cares what happens in the next three weeks. They want the year to be wrapped up and over so they can get started on 2011.

One place this impatience is very noticeable is in retail. There is a common complaint that stores rush the seasons. Some retail markets start stocking Christmas items before Halloween. I’m all for getting ahead of the holiday-season shoppers but that seems to be a little bit of overkill to me.

I worked in a clothing store for a while, and every year we had some of the same sales contests. The hardest one for us was the annual sweater sale. Starting in July, sweaters would start coming in and we were told to sell them. They had to be worked in to our store displays. We were ‘strongly urged’ to wear them to work to put people in the sweater mood.

Of course the urge to rush to recap this year and rush into next extends past selling. Blogs all over the internet are popping up with ‘best of’ polls. best book of the year, best title, best song, best cover. I try to keep up with them all and support my friends, but there are so many things open for voting that I lose track.

For people who aren’t in sales, or pushing their professional goals, December will often turn introspective. What have you accomplished this year and are you really any better off than last year? This is one subject that has the potential to turn morose quickly.

Personally, I’m not ready to give up 2010 yet. I still have 3 weeks to go and I’m going to use them. There is stuff to do, fun to be had, and a mark yet to make on the year. I have a goal to rewrite a book before 2011. Realistically, it’s long and I probably won’t get the whole thing redone, but I’m giving it my best shot.

Okay, so I’m not immune to the year’s-end rush. Risking Eternity is up for best cover of the year at Embrace the Shadows, and I’m all over that. I am starting to assess my accomplishments and am pretty darn happy with them. I’m just not done with them yet and before the ball drops on 2010, I want to have something new to add to my list of brags.

Are you looking back on the year or still looking forward? Let me know what you still have to do in 2010, and one commenter will get a PDF copy of Risking Eternity. While you’re at it, drop by the Best of 2010 Cover Clash at Embrace the Shadows and give my angel a vote. If I win, I’ll give away a second copy.

 

Voirey