The first week of
2015 revealed many, many posts on Face Book and various groups declaring long
lists of resolutions. Some even admitted they hadn’t kept the previous year’s.
I’m always amazed at people setting goals so high they can’t possibly keep
them. So why not try to be practical and not expect quite so much of
yourselves?
Let’s face it, we all
know deep down what we are capable of, so asking so much more of ourselves
seems futile. Why not have a heart to heart with the inner you, the centered
you, whatever you want to call that self who dwells in the core of you?
Here it is the end of
January. Have you done anything this month toward the resolutions or goals you set
when we left 2014 behind? If not I advise you first, to sit down with your list
and take a really good look at it. Pick what you want to accomplish in your
career more than anything else this year.
This will be number
one. Be it write a book, learn a new craft, become an expert in your field. So
tomorrow, first thing, sit down to that blank page and type Chapter One and
start writing. Or go online and get instructions for that afghan you wanted to
make. Or arrange for classes that will help you become that expert. No excuses,
no ands, ifs, or buts. Arrange to change your career, advance in it, or retire
and take up something new.
Second, pick one item
on your list that relates to your personality, attitude or interactions with
people. Throw the rest away and concentrate on that one resolution. If it’s be
more kind, thoughtful and gracious to both friends and strangers or call
someone with whom you’ve had problems recently and make up. That’s a good start
and this is something you can do all year. Make new friends, treasure the old
ones.
Third, choose a
single crazy wish, call it from your bucket list if you want, and make sure you
arrange to accomplish that desire. Make reservations, set a date, invite a
friend or relative, hubby if you have one, to go with you.
Now, don’t you feel
better having set in motion three major resolutions? What happens to the
others? Throw them away, you weren’t going to keep them anyway.
A few years ago my career
in writing took a plunge when the New York publishers went from thirty or more
to six. Heads rolled, editors were fired, writers dropped. We fell hard and
tail between my legs I whimpered for a while, then said to heck with this, and
began writing for the regional, nonfiction market.
While doing that I
wrote fiction, one novel after another. My goal? Get back into writing and
being published in fiction. Finishing one nonfiction book, I went to work
marketing it and wrote another western historical romance. After a few years of
working toward my goal while selling nonfiction to small publishers, I managed
to meet the acquisitions editor of a fast growing ebook publisher. By the time
she’d bought my historical romance, the house was also releasing books in
print. I now have four books with them, one with another small publisher,
another with yet another small publisher and a four book contract with an up
and coming new house. Those books I wrote over the past few years have all but
one found a home, and it will soon. Because that’s on my list.
I’m telling you this
for a reason. Tenacity and a love for writing allowed me to set goals I was
able to keep. Each year I would turn out two or more novels, determined to meet
that goal to continue to be a published author in the fiction field. I could
have also added a lot of impossible resolutions for myself. But when I couldn’t
keep them I would have felt like a failure.
So I don’t believe in
long lists, whether at the beginning of the year or anytime we feel down and
need a boost. Try three and don’t quit till you accomplish them. You’ll feel so
good, so fulfilled, so content. It’s not too late to revise that resolution
list. Slash it deep until all that’s left are the three items you most want to
complete in 2015.
Let me know what
three things you’ve picked for this year. It will be fun to watch you achieve
your goals.
