Resolutions
Do you make New Year Resolutions? If so, how much thought do you put into them and how often do you keep them? Do you expect the impossible of yourself or do you simply give up? Have you never made one?
The tradition of New Year’s Resolutions goes back to 153 B.C. as a Roman custom. More recently it has become the subject of humor or disregarded. However, there are still places that can advise you on the proper way to make and keep resolutions. Of course, the most popular resolutions are to stop bad habits or to lose weight.
I went through a period of time in which I wouldn’t make resolutions. I made resolutions beyond my ability to keep or with no plan to bring them about. I threw them out the window, and by July, I couldn’t remember what they were. I think I might make a few this year. There were a few, after all, that I kept and which became ingrained habits both useful and beneficial.
I will put my essays into a public venue of some sort, though not necessarily on this blog.
I will speak to at least one group on the benefits of a pen and paper journal.
I will circulate two items for publication by September.
I will pursue, to the best of my ability, another platform model I’ve been thinking about seriously.
I will write another novel.
Those are my resolutions for 2009. Which resolutions are you making this year?
hmm… none as such, only to try and remember it’s 2009.
beyond that, I have no idea…
I make goals, not resolutions lol there is something about that word that means ‘i’ll forget this in a couple of months’ to me. Goals I can do though! I’ll be posting about mine for 2009 tomorrow
@Anna Hi there! Remembering to write 2009 is going to be a challenge for me. Everything I sign will have the wrong year on it til March sometime, lol.
@Cassie. Okay…goals. I buy that. Same thing but different. I figured posting mine publicly might induce me to keep them. We shall see. I’ll be looking for yours tomorrow.
I’m of the opinion that if anything needs changing, why wait until Jan?
Anna, of course you are right. I think I just went through a little introspection period in December, and it is timing more than anything. My last big set of goals was formulated in June/July. It is about every 6 months for me.
Amber has a good point – why wait? My goals are less about changes I am going to make and more about things I want to achieve in the year to come. Things I can work towards step by step and hopefully tick off the list in the near future.
Oh goodness, Amber, I’m sorry, I typed Anna. /blush
No reason, I guess, Cassie. Just been thinking about it. I tend to self evaluate at semi-regular intervals. Sometimes it is fun to have a goal to span the calendar year. Sometimes not.
Well it’s the way you set things up – bigger goals take longer (like, a year) smaller goals take um less time obviously lol thats why they are called smaller goals I guess! I’m rambling lol.
And some goals….well, they take some time. How long did it take you from the time you decided to publish to when it actually happened? Just curious. The whole process is intimidating from this side of the divide.
I don’t really consider them resolutions, but around this time of year, I do try to set some goals for the new year ahead. I like to pick three main writing goals. Last year, I met all three and now I’m trying to come with one more for next year (I already have two). Good luck with your writing in 2009!
The comments here have really got me thinking. I’ll be posting soon on another “take” related to resolutions.
And thank you, Melissa.
You made one goal come to pass by including my tip on your blog. So cool, and humbling.