I genuinely enjoy the New Year. For me, it feels like a refresh, a way to start over and learn from the highs and lows of the previous year. There’s this optimistic feeling of the chance to be better. I especially love it for my writing.

I rarely hit all my writing goals in a given year. But January 1st allows me to re-evaluate what needs to get done and what I can realistically accomplish based on what happened last year.

Here are my writing resolutions for 2019:

  • Write at least 4 days a week for 15 minutes or more
  • Complete the first draft of my new novella
  • Revise & self-publish new novella on Amazon
  • Revise my Mistress of Fate novel
  • Send In The Land of Magic to at least 30 literary agents

And that’s it! It’s a short list, but let me tell you, all that will take up a LOT of my time. But that’s enough about me and my list. I’d like to move on to yours.

Some people love making resolutions, some people don’t. Will you indulge me for one minute and read my list of reasons you should consider making a writing resolution list?

  • Having goals provides motivation to sit down and do the work
  • The feeling of satisfaction you get from crossing something off a list after you’ve completed it will make you want to do more
  • It can help build good writing habit

That’s all I’ve got actually, but I think those are pretty compelling reasons to make a resolutions list. If the word resolutions comes with a negative connotation to you, I get that. Let’s start calling them goals then maybe?

Step One: Choose your goals

  • Push yourself. Don’t make it too easy on you. Making the goals semi-challenging will push you to be a better writer and put more importance on your writing
  • Be realistic. At the same time, don’t make your goals completely unattainable. If you know there’s no way you’d ever be able to write a complete novel manuscript in a year, than say you’ll write half of it.
  • Set time limits. Sometimes instead of saying “I want to complete this project by this time,” I make my goal writing 15 minutes every day. Or maybe it’s spending an hour on the weekend learning more about the craft of writing. Setting up goals this way can sometimes lessen the pressure we feel when tackling tasks. We know we just have to put in the time, and then we feel accomplished.
  • Be as specific. This might be a personal preference one for me, but I like to be specific in my goal setting. Say exactly how many minutes you’ll work on something each week. Decide the exact number of words you want to write at the least. If I’d set my goal about about literary agents to “Submit to literary agents” I could send my book to two agents and call it done for the year. But what does that do for me? Nothing. Be specific to help ensure you stick to your goal until you’ve really accomplished something

Step Two: Plan

  • Make a list of tasks you need to accomplish in order to achieve your goals. I find breaking down goals into tasks that need to be completed actually makes it seem less intimidating
  • Create a schedule. If you’re making an ongoing resolution (like writing everyday), maybe you need to make a schedule to ensure you don’t forget about your goals.
  • Make a timeline. Give yourself loose deadlines on when you want certain tasks completed by to assist in keeping yourself on track
  • Be held accountable. When I make a resolution or set a new goal for myself, I’ll frequently ask a friend I trust to hold me accountable by asking me on my progress or checking in to see if I did something. Knowing I have to report to someone at someone gives me extra dedication in sticking with my goal.

Step Three: Forgive Yourself

  • This is the most important one. I go into resolutions with the intention and desire to achieve them all i their entirety. But I realistically know the chances of that happening are slim. They are for everyone. So we have to learn to forgive ourselves when we get behind schedule, or miss a day. If you aren’t 100% successful with your goal, that’s okay. Remember, at the foundation of making resolutions is the desire to make a positive change in your life. Anything that is better than what you were doing before is a success.

Step Four: Celebrate

  • No matter what, if you did something more than last year, if you achieved even a small part of your goal, then celebrate. You succeed in my book! And don’t wait until the end of the year. Feel free to celebrate successes along the way. At the end of the day though, I want you to toast yourself to a job well done and a year well spent.