The Obligatory Resolutions Post (2010 Edition)

I'm a few days late on this, but I guess that's kind of typical. We world class procrastinators occasionally miss our deadlines. But it's still the first week of the year, so I think I'm good.

In order to set my goals and resolutions for 2010, I need to take a look back at the ups and downs of 2009. To reflect on the ups and downs. I don't really want to focus on the negatives (and there were a few) so I'll just list the positives.

Ups

• following my editor to her new job
• selling five (5!) new books
• winning the RITA
• releasing Goddess Boot Camp
• Oh. My. Gods. making the Georgia Peach list
• Oh. My. Gods. making the Texas Tayshas
• spending time with my best friend and her family
• meeting lots of wonderful authors
• touring Washington DC with my parents
• participating in Living Your Five
• doing my first ever paid school visit
• getting Daisy

Wow. Turns out 2009 was better than I thought! I have a lot of things to be thankful for and happy about from the last twelve months. Of course, there are always things to improve. But how do I do that?

First, I'm going to take a tip from Ali Edwards and define the coming year in a single word. The idea is to think about what you want to happen in the coming year, what kind of changes you would like to see happen in your life. Then think of the one word that epitomizes what you want.

My word for 2010 is BALANCE.

Balance can mean a number of things, including mental steadiness and a state of equilibrium. I would like both of those, thank you. Mostly, I would like to move at a steadier pace, rather than coasting for a long time and then rushing at the last minute. I would like to write every single day, rather than let writing take over my entire life for weeks at a time when deadlines happen. I also want more balance between personal and professional, more balance in my diet, and more balance in my body.

It will take diligence and discipline, but it will be worth it in the end.

So, now that I've reflected on 2009 and identified my defining word for 2010, I need to state my specific goals for achieving said balance. To make the list manageable--and to give me a fighting chance of actually keeping the resolutions--I'm only going to state three career-related goals. Here goes.

1. Write 20 pages every week. (This would result in 1000 pages this year. That's three or four books! And, at this point, I'm only contracted to write one.)
2. Answer emails within a week. (Assuming I don't start getting a bajillion emails all of a sudden. I had started on this path in the Fall, but then I moved and everything went to hades.)
3. Read 100 books. (After being shamed by Jen Lynn Barnes's 2009 total, which might be more than I've read in my entire life, I feel that I need to at least make a concerted effort.)

Next I need to figure out (and write down) the steps I have to take to achieve these goals. Like "write 3 pages first thing in the morning" so that getting my 30 pages is first priority. (Btw, not likely to happen. Am not a morning person.) Then it's just a matter of following those steps to success. And to a 2010 that's even better than its predecessor.

Anyone else have resolutions they want to share?

Hugs,
TLC