As January comes to a close, and some conversations with friends about already failing on new year's resolutions, I got to thinking about what makes a resolution work. Looking back at my goals set for last year, I achieved nearly all of them, and if I didn't, it wasn't for lack of trying. So what was different about my resoultions, which I called goals, from others?
I think any resolution that requires a dramatic lifestyle change over night is going to fail.
That being said, insteading of "writing every day" my resolutions were more along the lines of "write another manuscript" and "revise finished manuscript." I don't write everyday; I don't write every other day. I'm lucky if I write once a week. I tend to stick to my month long Nanowrimos and script frenzys, because, well, it's easier to block out a month than an hour every day. It also keeps the pressure off of me.
If I said "write everyday" and I missed one day, well, I would have already failed that resolution. Since I already failed, why bother? And since I tend to be my own worst emeny, that type of resolution would never work for me. I can't dramatically change my life over night, and I don't think others can either.
Writing everyday is an unreasonable goal; writing more than than two frantic months a year, is not.
So, I like to keep my goals reasonable, and measurable not by days, but by quantiy, like keeping a blog (or 3) over the next year. Of course, this is a slow start - being as I've only managed to get one going. But I see that in Feb, I'll be able to start up another. By keeping, I mean that I post semi-regularly, and don't go months and months without posting. Then I can look back and say, well, I managed to post once a week every week of the year! That's pretty awesome!
I hope this will get me to start a new habbit, such as writing more frequently. And if I write more frequently, this year, then I can write even more next year. Then maybe, I'll be able to do one of thos "write 500 a day" resolutions without having to dramatically change my lifestyle.
Being as it's still a new year, I think there's still plenty of time to revise new year's goals...
So readers, how are you coming along with your goals this year?
I think any resolution that requires a dramatic lifestyle change over night is going to fail.
That being said, insteading of "writing every day" my resolutions were more along the lines of "write another manuscript" and "revise finished manuscript." I don't write everyday; I don't write every other day. I'm lucky if I write once a week. I tend to stick to my month long Nanowrimos and script frenzys, because, well, it's easier to block out a month than an hour every day. It also keeps the pressure off of me.
If I said "write everyday" and I missed one day, well, I would have already failed that resolution. Since I already failed, why bother? And since I tend to be my own worst emeny, that type of resolution would never work for me. I can't dramatically change my life over night, and I don't think others can either.
Writing everyday is an unreasonable goal; writing more than than two frantic months a year, is not.
So, I like to keep my goals reasonable, and measurable not by days, but by quantiy, like keeping a blog (or 3) over the next year. Of course, this is a slow start - being as I've only managed to get one going. But I see that in Feb, I'll be able to start up another. By keeping, I mean that I post semi-regularly, and don't go months and months without posting. Then I can look back and say, well, I managed to post once a week every week of the year! That's pretty awesome!
I hope this will get me to start a new habbit, such as writing more frequently. And if I write more frequently, this year, then I can write even more next year. Then maybe, I'll be able to do one of thos "write 500 a day" resolutions without having to dramatically change my lifestyle.
Being as it's still a new year, I think there's still plenty of time to revise new year's goals...
So readers, how are you coming along with your goals this year?
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