Hopefully by now, everyone has gotten a good start on new year's resolutions and are busy implementing goals.
I long ago switched from once a year resolutions to an actual notebook of continual growth and change. I try to focus on not more than a dozen major results for the year. Then I go through and outline various ways that I can achieve that result. For example, rather than saying I plan to start a garden this year, which I do. I have a very general result that I'd like to see. I want my back yard to be a place that is useful, restful, and a pleasant place to hang out. This is something I can work on year round, by creating a garden, keeping the back yard clutter free, adding things like wind chimes, etc. So if I don't have money to terrace and plant all the trees and vegetables I want right away, I can still feel that I'm making progress by weeding and cleaning up the yard. At the end of the year, I find that I can look at the results and see that I made progress on that part of my life without feeling like a failure if I didn't achieve on specific thing like have an awesome garden.
Trying to make things easy for myself. Do you all write out resolutions or have year long goals?
One result that I'd like for this blog is to continue to have many guests drop by to make this a comfy place to discuss and share books and whatever other issue we choose to talk about.
I had so much fun at the end of last year visiting other writers, that I'd like to continue to do more visits or interviews. I'm going to start with an amazing writer that happens to be a great friend of mine, Caridad Pineiro. Caridad also writes for Grand Central as well as for Harelquin Nocturne. I'll be interviewing Caridad on January 12th, but stop by tomorrow for a preview of her book SINS OF THE FLESH.
And if you haven't already decided what results you'd like to see for yourself in 2010, spend the weekend thinking about it. Have a great one!
Julia
Happy New Year, Julia!
ReplyDeleteBravo on the post! I found your advice to be wonderful and timely. I am not a big fan of the "new year". It is somewhat of a downer after a season full of family and friends...and delicious treats! Now, this "new year" season brings up the notions of how out of shape one is, how off-track one's life is, blah, blah, blah! Where's all the happy talk that was everywhere just a few weeks ago?! The talk shows and radio and t.v. commercials, even magazines, are all boasting their ideas for the perfect way to keep a resolution. But, I must say, your ideas for year-long work is the best and only way for one to really strive to be a better person and live a better life. After all, isn't that the whole point?! Great advice!
By the way, I am reading your book, Evenings at the Argentine Club, and am loving it...and I still have a bit to go.
I look forward to your interview with Caridad.
All the best,
~Anna
Thanks Anna, I'm glad you're enjoying reading EVENINGS.
ReplyDeleteAnd, yes, I've always thought it strange that all of a sudden on January 1st, we are encouraged to find fault with ourselves and begin to change things. People promise to be more generous, kinder, healthier, etc., then seem to promptly forget a few weeks into the year.
I think periodically throughout the year we need to ask ourselves if we're being the person we want to be and if not, make changes then, not wait until the new year.
I have to say, I'm a long way from mastering this myself, but I'm happier than when I used to make a list of 50+ unreachable goals and then check on December 30th to see if achieved them.