5 Tips for Your New Year's Resolutions

It's that time of year, to think about next year!

If there's one thing that writing teaches you, it's that you have to plan ahead. Even when you're not going to stick to your plan, making a plan helps you think things through different angles.

When putting together resolutions I like to think of it in two steps - basically, past and future.

When you're creating an end of the year review, it helps you see what you have done well and what you have done badly. As a writer, you can look at how much you have written, and (if you're planning on selling that article/novel/poem) how much you have marketed it.

Looking into the upcoming year - 2018, or otherwise - you have to plan and envision where you want to see yourself in 12 months. This time next year, what would you have liked to accomplish?

Resolutions are only as good as the work you're willing to put into it!

Here are a few tips to help you put together your New Year's Resolutions!

1. Be Realistic.

2. Challenge Yourself.

3. Revisit Goals

4. Be Kind.

5. Let It Go.

1. Be Realistic.

You can make a resolution to be a martial arts master and sail the world, but if you've never set foot in a dojo or on a boat, it's not a realistic feat to undergo in a year.

Your resolutions should speak to the person you want to become - within reason. As a writer, obviously you're going to want to write. Maybe you can think about joining a writer's group or finally attending a conference - these things are the kind of goals that you can easily enough achieve and that will leave you feeling proud of yourself.

If you set up unrealistic goals, you're already setting yourself up for failure, and that is a disservice to yourself. Don't put yourself down! Make it so that you can build yourself on the qualities that you already acquire and make them better.

2. Challenge Yourself.

Didn't I just finish saying to be realistic? Yes! But in no way should that mean that you should stop dreaming.

To become a better writer, or a better anything, you have to always look to challenge and better yourself. Maybe you've never tried NaNoWriMo, this could be the year to do it! Or perhaps there's a marathon or mud run that you've always thought about trying. Why not do it?

Taking all necessary steps to ensure your health and wellbeing, remember that every day is a chance for you to do new things. Read new worlds, try new recipes. Every new situation isn't just a credit to your growth, but also more experiences that you can derive from for your writing quiver.

3. Revisit Goals.

There's a lot to be said about an unachieved goal. It tends to make us feel down and

maybe even a bit unworthy. Maybe you previously have set unrealistic, unachievable goals, and it's troubled you that you've never been able to accomplish them.

But just because two or five years ago you weren't able to stick to that diet or finish that novel you were writing, it doesn't mean that you can't try again.

New Year's Resolutions are meant to motivate us to try again. In learning from our previous years experiences, we grown and learn about ourselves and those around us. Maybe you were too young or too busy before - now might be just the right time to try again!

Try and recall what it was about a particular goal that made you want to achieve it, and see if it still fits into the vision you have for yourself. And keep in mind what the obstacles were that prevented you from achieving it in the first place. If you can't control those obstacles, perhaps it's not yet time to try this again; however, if you can, then this might be the prefect time to cross that goal, change into that healthy lifestyle, or finally place the "THE END" to your manuscript.

4. Be Kind.

Often times, we take too long looking at what we want and think of them as needs. We can define ourselves by our jobs or our roles, and sometimes we are left lagging. Are we good enough friends? Parents? Drivers? Business owners? Bosses? Workers? Siblings? The list can go on and on.

Often times, we are harsher on ourselves than we need to be.

This tip is actually in two-fold. Being kind should be something that we exhibit within ourselves, as well as towards others.

When looking upon the future, we can always look at the past and see not only how we have been treating our selves, but how we treat others. Do we yell when we should listen? Do we rush when we should maybe schedule less things into our lives? Are we in need of more things or can we give more of our time?

As a writer, it's too easy to look at a first draft and sob in unworthiness. Or a third draft. Or the jumbled mess of notes that have never amounted to a story. It's easy to feel like a failure, even when you have fans and readers. Or maybe you love what you're writing, but you've never shared it.

Writing is very personal, and often times very lonely. It's easy to second guess ourselves and belittle our work. Don't. Each word is one more step on the journey. Each story, a lesson. You're getting better, for the mere fact of trying.

And not just in writing. In most aspects of our live, if we make the efforts to be more present and try harder, that we are accomplishing these goals. Be a better neighbor by look out for each other and not passing judgements. Be a better friend by listening and loving more. Be a better parent, sibling, family, by trying to do all actions out of love.

5. Let It Go.

Finally, when all is said and done, sometimes things aren't meant to be. And when that's the case, you have to let it go.

Did I just trigger a Frozen sing-off? My apologies!

Maybe. A little.

In reality, letting things go is kind of crucial. No, I don't think you have to forget everything, and I'm not about to dive into forgiveness at this moment - but the reasoning stands, a lot of times it's emotional baggage that isn't allowing us to move forward.

As you look ahead to the new year, anything from a small to do list that you didn't finish to the fact that you've been trying to lose weight for a decade can make you feel like you can never accomplish anything. And that's just simply not true.

Focusing on the things that you can't do, or haven't done, isn't going to help you finish more things. Unless you are trying to analyze a way that you can better a situation - like how you can better organize your office or your thoughts so that you can finally find the time to write that novel (Perhaps even checking out our ever so fine Novel Writing Packets) or how to clean out your pantry for a healthy overhaul instead of focusing on the numbers on the weight scale.

Focus on the good. Focus on all that you have done and all that you can do. Focus on inspiring those around you (your kids, your students, your friends, your mom, your neighbors, etc.) and let them inspire you. Focus on the feeling of trying new things and new challenges and new opportunities.

Take all of the rest, and Let It Go.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

And to a Prosperous New Year!

#Holidays #Writing #5Ways