Goals
I have to admit that 2018 was not the year I'd hoped it would be.
My word for this year was balance. It should have been pendulum, because my life swung back and forth like my childhood piano teacher's metronome. True, the sum of all those clicks lies in the middle, but there were precious few days that I felt "in balance." I spent a major portion of the year, well, goofing off.
Not that it was a terrible year. It wasn't. I just didn't get a lot done toward moving myself forward in the areas that I had planned to focus on—in particular, publishing my next book. I did spend time revisiting writing craft books and taking classes. I read books. I indulged in making the cards that I love to give to people, perfecting new techniques and materials. I spent time with friends.
It would have been a great year if I were in my teens. But I'm not.
Being self-motivated from childhood, I haven't been one to set goals. When I decide to do something, it becomes a priority and all my attention and effort is focused on accomplishing that task. My friends, writing and non-writing, say the same thing about me: Either I'm all in, or I'm all out. If I commit, I commit fully. If I don't, I'm not going to get involved. That was one reason I chose BALANCE for my word for 2018.
But after a year of bouncing from project to fun activities to shiny new things and back, I am ready to make two or three goals, print them up on cards, and post them where I'll be reminded throughout the day—every day—to put in my time toward making those goals a reality. It's time to rejoin the adult world. I have things I want to do. Things that must be done before I can move on the the next things on my list of "to do's." And if I continue like I have all the time in the world, nothing will get done.
The word MINDFUL could be a modifier for my goals. To practice, I have already started asking myself, when I move toward spending an afternoon in a non-goal-oriented activity, "Is this going to accomplish one of my goals?" When the answer is no, I choose to do something that is more goal-oriented. I "just" have to be mindful enough to ask the question.
Since I'm a newbie to working with goals, if you've got suggestions or advice for me, I'd love some help. Yes, I need all the help I can get with this. This time next year I want to rock this blog! (Oh, is that a goal?)
ABOUT FAE
Fae Rowen discovered the romance genre after years as a science fiction freak. Writing futuristics and medieval paranormals, she jokes that she can live anywhere but the present. As a mathematician, she knows life’s a lot more fun when you get to define your world and its rules.
Punished, oh-no, that’s published as a co-author of a math textbook, she yearns to hear personal stories about finding love from those who read her books, rather than the horrors of calculus lessons gone wrong. She is grateful for good friends who remind her to do the practical things in life like grocery shop, show up at the airport for a flight and pay bills.
A “hard” scientist who avoided writing classes like the plague, she now shares her brain with characters who demand that their stories be told. Amazing, gifted critique partners keep her on the straight and narrow. Feedback from readers keeps her fingers on the keyboard, putting the finishing touches on P.R.I.S.M. Book Two.
P.R.I.S.M., a young adult science fiction romance story of survival, betrayal, resolve, deceit, lies, and love.
You can also visit Fae at http://faerowen.com or www.facebook.com/fae.rowen or at www.writersinthestormblog.com on the first Wednesday of every month.
You're right about the feeling of success that comes with short-term goals. I really need to do more of that in '19.
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