Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Goals for 2012

Yeah, yeah, yeah- these should be posted in January. But my way of thinking is that January is when you’re jumping into your new goals, not thinking them up ;). So I do them now then have a little over a week to work my way into them.

First, let me address those folks who don’t like “resolutions”. There are lots of reasons not to like them, which is why I call them goals. It’s always easier (at least for me) to start a new habit or behavior at the start of something. A week, a month, a year- these demarcations of time make handy little starting points for changes. So I like using this time period to reflect and move forward- if you do as well, great. If not- no worries ;).

Even though this is a writing blog, I’m going to list all of my plans here. Writing really is part of my life and as such can’t be pulled out and kept separate.

1) Fitness: I did get off to a good start in the second half of 2011- and got into the habit of working out every day. The last month or two has been spotty due to health issues and NaNo messing up my sleeping (and thusly messing up getting up at 4:45 am to work out). My plan for 2012 is to get back up to my 7 days a week, with increases each month. So extra workouts later in the day on a few days, changing things up, much longer walkers/ workouts on week-ends. I ain’t getting younger, and the fight begins now.

2) Food: ok, this too took big strides forward in the latter half of 2011- then sort of slipped during the holidays. I’ve got way too many health issues that I really want to get rid of to keep messing up eating. Back to tracking food and weighing in regularly.

3) My writing itself-

a. Take myself seriously as a writer- fake it until you make it. I may be under published, but I AM a writer. If I don’t believe it, how will others?

b. Really attack the publishing end of things. No more hit and miss of sending out (in terms of quantity- not who I’m sending to- I do my research ;)).

c. Develop a thick skin. Ok, easier said than done, and I hear lots of laughing from you folks. But a big part of having a thick skin is how rejection is perceived. Successful people often don’t see it as bad, it’s a stepping stone to their goal. I plan on working on my perceptions a LOT this year.

d. Push myself. I love to write, and will always do so. But, I do want to share my work with others. I want other people to share the worlds I’ve created and get to know my characters. Art of any kind grows when it is a shared experience-so I need to get to a position of being able to share. To do that, I have to be constantly pushing my boundaries on what and how I write.

e. Constantly work on improving my craft. I plan on picking one topic a month and focus on it. I figure you never can have too much knowledge!

That's it for now, another aspect of 2012- I want to have a mini goal session each month. Little changes can have big impacts.

What about you?

11 comments:

  1. Liked your post. I haven't been writing due to holiday work, but I have been working on planning for the new year. Loved the "under published" label. I have a few published shorts but want to get serious about book length in print.

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  2. Thanks Suzanne! Yeah, I'm afraid between work and holidays it's hard to get in some writing time. And excellent on the planning :) may this year be a time for us "under pubbed" folks to shine!

    Good luck in 2012!

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  3. Hi Marie, Brava! I agree, you can't wait until New Year's Day to think about goals.For 2011, one of my goals, which I had set in December 2010, was to start my blog. Well, the day after Christmas 2010 we had three feet of snow dumped on us by Mother Nature. So rather than wait 6 days to start,I seized the opportunity and began my blog on December 26th.

    Love your health and fitness goals. Want to share with you an article I wrote for More Magazine about the same core topic---reinventing yourself. Hope you find it helpful.

    http://www.more.com/member-voices/your-stories/reinventing-one-small-step-time

    I have continued to reshape my life and posted about it on my blog.

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  4. Thanks K. Victoria! I'm going to check out your article and track down your blog! Anytime we can start ahead of our planned start date is a VERY good thing!

    Thank you for coming by- have a great 2012!

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  5. What great goals, Marie. I share many of yours, including fitness and improving my craft. As you know from listening to me moan and whine a lot, I've got really thin skin, too. That's a tough one for all writers. The worlds you create are amazing and delightful; they deserve to be shared. I'll be cheering you on in 2012 as you strive for your goals!

    Wait--does that mean I have to urge you to eat healthy food tonight at happy hour?!

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  6. Thanks Melissa! We'll I'll be coming to you for shoulder crying as the rejections start homing in!

    Umm- no healthy food tonight! See tonight is a "freebie day" yeah, see on special Wednesdays I can eat whatever I want! Yup, marked right here on my special list ;). See ya soon!

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  7. Hey Marie! Great goals! I'm right there with you with the fitness and food goals, and like you, I love actually STARTING on January 1st (or beginning of a month... beginning of a week can be give or take). I like having a plan before it's time to start. :-)

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  8. Thanks Sarah! Yeah for us planners! I think it's less of a shock for my system that way ;).

    Thanks for coming by!

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  9. What a timely post! I've been thinking about my goals for next year and I have a lot in mind, though I haven't yet quantified them or worked on my timeline for them.

    Started early on the weight loss goal, and I've lost nearly thirty pounds since I left San Diego in October (helps that I'm on the right thyroid medication finally). Hoping to get down to a healthy BMI by mid-2012.

    Almost all of my other goals center on my writing. I want to get my blog going again because I really enjoyed it and the people I met through it. I'd like to take more workshops, and really participate in them. I'm signed up for EditPalooza on Savvy Author, which I'm excited for. Had an amazing one by Jody Henley on Character Arc (like plotting for pantsers, imo), and it's jump-started my writing. I want to find a few great crit partners since I have none at the moment. I want to get my revisions complete on my second ms, and finish my current WIP. And then I want to submit, submit, submit. I'd like to have an agent by the end of the year, but I don't think I'll make that a goal yet since I'm still not 100% on having one.

    I love your idea of mini-goal sessions. Also good to break big goals into bite-sized pieces so you get a sense of progress and can keep on track. They'd fit right in on those sessions ;)

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  10. Oh, Marie. You've made me start thinking and promising myself to sit down next week and plot things out, too, in more ways than writing. :)
    Have a terrific Christmas and a 2012 that finds you successful with all your goals. You can do it!!

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  11. Thanks for coming by Angela and Sylvia! LOL_ Dang Angela, you're off to a great start already! :)

    And Sylvia, glad I got you to think about life plotting- ;).

    Hope you both have a wonderful holiday and a GREAT 2012!

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