Obligatory New Year's resolutions post

[delphipsmith]

As one might expect since I started this LJ to encourage myself in my writing and reading*, most have to do with writing. Do please note that I have followed all relevant self-help instructions and resolution best practice guidelines by making them a) manageable and b) measurable. (Our local paper published a pie chart on Jan 1 showing common New Year's resolutions and fully 35% of respondents said "Make myself a better person." Gee, can you vague that up for me?)

1) Submit at least four things to publishers. This was a goal last year and it ended in epic phail (as my WoW spouse would say). It's time to start collecting those rejection letters!

2) Do SSIAW both times and get four stories done both times. Again, a goal last year but one which got a bit closer as I participated both times but only got two out of eight possible (actually sixteen possible, if I were really gung ho and wrote on both sets of prompts every week -- but let's not get TOO crazy here).

3) Write something -- ANYTHING -- at least [one hour a day]*** five days out of seven. Even if it's just retyping poems from memory or doing some kind of writing exercises. I need to build this habit or items 1 and 2 will never happen.

4) Get back to keeping my journal regularly. That would be not the LJ -- that's easy -- but rather the pen-and-paper one I've been keeping since I was 11 years old (I now have three boxes full of notebooks of various sizes, shapes, colors, thicknesses and level of decomposition). In high school I went through one about every three months but I'm aiming for quality rather than quantity now :) **

5) Do a better job staying touch with family. I'm pretty good with Mom, so-so with dad, and terrible at everyone else. Christmas reminded me how important they are and how much I want to maintain that closeness, especially with my brother. He's an amazing person -- smart, witty, talented musically and verbally, a great dad in his own right -- and I want him to know how glad I am we're part of the same family. Mushy but true.

Oh yeah. And then there's applying to Clarion West. Heh heh heh...


I think that's sufficient. You will note I say nothing about drinking less, eating less, exercising more, or Being a Better Person. Never let it be said I don't know my own limits.


* Actually someone else (*cough* nursedarry *cough*) started it for me, for which I humbly thank her.

** One might ask, will you cheat and let #4 do double duty and also qualify as meeting #3? One might then be told to sod off.

*** Added 1/9/2010

Comments

[anna-bird.livejournal.com]

Per your final line, I think it's fantastic to read something that doesn't revolve around weight or death to chocolate. Some limits are virtues. :) I also like the writing-centric nature of these.