January is a time when most people consider what they want to do in the new year. Lose fifty pounds? Exercise two hours every day? Pay off the mortgage? Write 2,000 words daily? We grow practically giddy with the possibilities. Soon, like Don Quixote, we’re ready to tackle the new year with the intent of tilting at the biggest windmills, while slaying three or four dragons along the way.
No wonder so many resolutions are doomed.
Yet it’s only normal to be starry-eyed about a fresh new year. It feels like wonderful things are on the horizon – ones you may never have experienced before. The concept reminds me of the first day of school. With my pristine notebook and pencils in hand, I felt sure there were a million opportunities ahead.
But rather than a willy-nilly dash into a mountain range of lofty expectations, a better approach might be to take a long look at the previous year, and consider 2018. What were your achievements? Recognize them, and then give yourself a big pat on the back for your success. Be your own cheerleader. You did it! You are awesome! Go you!
As an example, before I tossed my 2018 calendar, I went through it month by month to refresh my memory, and realized I had participated in more than eighteen book signings/readings last year. Woo-hoo!
Next, think about what didn’t work out so well. If given the chance for a do-over, how could you have improved the outcome? Perhaps you needed the advice/counsel of an expert, or maybe you should have moved forward in smaller steps. Analyze the problem, brainstorm ideas, and come up with a realistic plan that will help you accomplish the goal (or the modified goal) next time. For me, releasing three books, each a different genre, in a three month time span was pretty awful. Never again.
It will take a little time, but once you’ve completed your analysis, voilà! You not only have a starting place to decide what you’d like to accomplish in the new year, but a notion of how to get there. Mark your intentions on your 2019 calendar, appropriately placing items that are date sensitive. By using the calendar rather than a piece of paper that can (and often does) mysteriously disappear, you can also easily gauge your success when December arrives.
In my view, “resolutions” created via a thoughtful (rather than knee-jerk) process, have a much better chance of appearing on next year’s “success” list.
Happy planning and a happy New Year to all!
14 Responses
Thanks for such a great post, Pat! January is always when I go month by month through the previous year’s calendar and record dates and activities on my new calendar. I know I’m old-fashioned, but I much prefer writing things out this way, pencil to paper. The actual process of writing is a goal-oriented activity in itself, and provides motivation for achieving objectives. Happy New Year to you and all!
Happy New Year, Teri!
I agree. Give me a paper calendar and pen over putting everything in my phone any day. It’s much more satisfying. 🙂
Pat–I’m with you and Theresa. I like to physically write things down. Speaking or typing it into my phone? No way.
You have accomplished sooo much in 2018. Eighteen book signings/readings is amazing.
I hope 2019 brings you everything you dream of…
I’m sure I’ll never abandon my pen-to-paper habit, Sioux, no matter how old-fashioned it makes me. 🙂
Thanks for your kind words. A wild and hectic year indeed, though I must admit I’d never counted it up until I did my yearly review. What a surprise!
I just did the transferring of dates from 2018 to 2019 last night on a new calendar.
So many things happened and so many things to look forward to.
Wishing you much happiness and success in 2019
Linda
Linda, it sure is interesting to review the year, isn’t it?
Hope you have an amazing and blessed new year!
Spread sheets, you can have them. Calendars are my go to. They are like diary entries, and make me feel connected to writing when I write it in one of the calendar boxes. The more I fill those boxes, the happier I am. You have accomplished so much!
I agree, Linda. Spreadsheets are great for numbers, but (for me) not very “word-friendly”.
As for accomplishments, you are one of the most accomplished writers I know! 🙂
Your 2018 calendar reminds me of writing advice I’ve heard often…when you are looking ahead and discouraged about what we haven’t achieved, remember to look back and see how far you’ve come.
You’re right, Karen. Sometimes we tend to forget our accomplishments to focus on where we’ve fallen short.
I like the idea of reflecting with the calendar! I think I will make a note on my calendar 😉 to do that next December. Thanks for the tips!
You’re welcome, Margo! I hope it’s a system that proves to be as helpful for you as it is for me.
Great advice, Pat. One other thing reviewing the calendar does is show me not just what I’ve accomplished but what I’ve been through in general terms. Some goals not met had very good reasons for falling short, and seeing the handwritten proof on the calendar of what derailed them is also a reminder to be kind to myself, something that as a writer is tough to do sometimes. We’re our own worst critics.
Lisa, your post reminded me of a piece written by Maria Shriver among many in her latest book, I’ve Been Thinking… The one that caught my eye is about turning negative thoughts into positive ones. Instead of thinking “This is so hard, I can’t do this”, turn it into “I’ve done wonderful things before and I CAN do this.” The philosophy would help my struggle with the “what ifs”, too! 🙂
Changing how I think about things is definitely an area I need to work on.