Every year I fall into the cliché of coming up with New Years Resolutions. As someone with a type "A" personality, I love the idea of setting goals and working towards achieving them (even if I'm not successful). I love the concept of mapping out my dreams on paper and of being able to see myself grow throughout the year, especially since I can compare and see exactly how far I've come. It's either a positive reinforcement to my self esteem or a realistic outlook on where I need to improve. It gives me direction and sense of purpose for the new year. It motivates me to do better and be better.
While I usually make resolutions, I typically let them wash over me without any real commitment. It wasn't until three years ago that I put stock behind it and made my first real effort to see one through. I decided to give up soda and I haven't had one since. And you know what? I don't even miss it. Once I figured out that I could follow through and use it as a tool for change, I decided to utilize it as an organizational and motivational outlet. I thought that if I was strong enough to change one aspect of myself because of a silly New Year's resolution, I could easily do the same in another area of my life.
This year I'm making two separate sheets of resolutions. One set for personal goals, and the second for writing ones. My personal list looks a lot like everyone else's. Goals for being healthier, devoting more time to self-care, furthering my career and reaching new milestones in my relationship.
My writing sheet consists of a few different types of goals:
Blogging: I want to further my blog by gaining/maintaining a following, and to strengthen my reputation online by being both transparent and knowledgeable about writing. I'm hoping that this will help further my career as a writer as well as inspire other writers to pursue their dreams. My plan to do this includes posting consistently, providing content that is well-researched and relevant, developing a marketing and media plan, and to encourage feedback from my viewers. I also plan to supplement these steps by learning more about blogging in general and what resources are out there to help me achieve these goals (as I am still a beginner).
Writing: I want to finish draft 4 of my current writing project and begin revisions. I'm on the cusp of the ending and I am determined to finish this draft by the end of August. This was a goal I didn't succeed in last year, so I'm even more motivated to see it through. From there I want to enlist the help of a few beta readers to give me some feedback and begin revisions. I will do this by re-committing to my daily writing routine and find a balance between writing for my blog and writing for my manuscript. It won't be easy, but it'll be worth it. I'm going to make sure I stay organized and set weekly goals for my book just like I do for my blog. From there I'll open up the opportunity for those interested in beta reading to reach out and let me know so I can start the editing process.
Reading: My goals for reading are varied. I want to continue reading one book every two weeks, but I would like to expand my viewpoint and branch out more. I'm going to work on choosing books outside of my typical genres (nonfiction, mystery, and poetry) along with my regulars (YA, fiction, romance, historical fiction). I'm going to continue reading books about writing along with articles, magazines, and other blog posts about writing. Anything to expand the range of my skills. Sticking to this one should be pretty easy so it's more of about restating a habit that I already have rather than mapping out a new one.
Journaling: I'm adding this in because it's equally as important to me as the others. I want to continue writing in my journal daily because keeping a record of each day helps me keep my thoughts focused and keeps me mentally healthy. It gives me an outlet to express my feelings and get them out so that I can then turn to more productive writing. It also serves as inspiration for later use as sometimes reality bleeds into fiction.
If you're interested in making your own writing resolutions I encourage you to do so! They are so helpful when it comes to staying on track with your writing throughout the year, regardless of where you are in the writing process. By setting goals you'll achieve more, stay organized, and be able to reflect on all your accomplishments at the end of next year. Just think about how much you'll grow! There's no greater feeling than looking back and seeing your dreams turn into goals and your goals turn into reality.
What are some goals you're working on this year? Write them in the comments box below! I'd love to hear your ideas and to learn more about how to help inspire you!
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