I’m happy to make a resolution or goal any time of year, but even though New Year’s is a completely arbitrary date, it does close out the holiday season, and that makes it a perfect time to recommit to priorities. So even though I’m calling these “resolutions,” they’re really just a to-do list for the year. I don’t worry about how I’m going to commit to them; most of them are already in-progress, and if I do somehow get stuck on one or two, I can always change them later.
Health/Fitness:
- Exercise 200+ minutes per week, including getting back to my favorite Step class at the gym, and joining Mommy and Me yoga
- Cut back on sugar by giving up dessert 6 days a week
Writing-Content:
- Write 2 drafts of BLIZZARD and prepare it to show my agent
- Write 1 personal essay or short story every month
- Submit to at least 6 publications or contests every month
- Write a second draft of Cadence, the YA novel I wrote for NaNoWriMo this year (if time)
Writing-Community:
- Finish the DIY MFA “Pixels to Platform” course
- Post on blog at least 5 times per month
- Edit my Facebook author page, and start promoting it
- Edit my website to show more of my writing credits and reading recommendations
- Start a newsletter (for reals this time)
- Promote other writers’ work on Twitter and comment on blogs every day
Reading:
ALERT! I’d love for some Words From The Sowul readers to do either of these reading activities with me! Let me know if you sign up.
- Join the MMD (“Modern Mrs. Darcy”) book club and participate in the discussions
- Do the MMD 2017 reading challenge, “growth” track
Family:
- Sign Edwin up for swimming and piano lessons (spring/summer)
- Transition Edwin to Kindergarten (fall)
- Transition Eleanor to sleeping in her room (winter/spring) and eating solid food (summer)
- Go to church regularly; start Edwin’s religious education
- Keep in touch with my sister who’s moving cross-country
Home:
- Continue organization projects around the house
- Prepare and host yard sale (summer)
- Get back porch/deck repaired (summer)
In next week’s post, I’ll break down these resolutions to focus on my goals for Season 1 (January-March) and describe how I’ll accomplish them.
Anyone else want to share their New Year’s resolutions?
This is an incredible list, Leanne. Ambitious, too, but I’ve no doubt you’ll get most (if not all) of them done before year’s end. And I LOVE the title of your YA novel-in-progress. “Cadence” is one of my favorite words, and not just because of its musical connections. (Also, one of my college friends named her new baby girl Cadence. *smiles*)
I don’t really have any New Year’s resolutions, but I shared some of my 2017 goals at my blog today. You already read them, but they’re mostly writing goals, such as drafting a novella, getting beta feedback on my novel and working on its fourth draft afterward, and attending at least one writing event (the retreat in Iceland).
Your Home category reminded me that I need to replace the last of my condo’s carpet with laminate wood flooring. Most of it is done already (the dining and living rooms), so what’s left now is the narrow hallway and my bedroom. It needs to be done, but knowing what it will entail (moving the furniture and closet contents, staying at someone else’s house temporarily, putting it all back together)… it’s overwhelming, especially when you live alone. :/ I’ll have to stop delaying it at some point, though.