I always end the year by writing about my accomplishments, failures, regrets, and resolutions. I love this time of year because the calendar naturally motivates me to reflect and act. This post is all about 2023 accomplishments.
I didn’t do this series last year. So, just opening up my browser and writing is an accomplishment. Boom. We’re done. See you next year.
My biggest accomplishment in 2023 was starting to write my next book. I began with a podcast, a significant financial investment with no guarantee of success but allowing me to test my ideas and collect stories. Thankfully, the reception was strong enough to validate the book concept. And that’s where I am today, wrapping up my formal proposal to my agent and publisher so we can greenlight the next process: writing the damn thing for publication in 2025.
The book writing process is unkind to authors like me who spend long hours at the computer and walk away with sore hands, dry eyes, incomplete thoughts, and bruised egos. It’s a slog for those who love writers, too. But I’m absolutely convinced that the world needs a conversation about the intersection of work and alcohol, and I don’t think anyone can deliver it like me—with nuance, honesty, and an appropriate amount of humor.
There are no new ideas. Someone might get to the finish line first and publish this idea before me. Others might have smart things to say on the TV or the internet. But only one person can write “Corporate Drinker,” and it’s me. And I’m glad that I finally started in earnest in 2023. That’s my biggest accomplishment.