Some Comments and then the interview from Linda McMaken
The New Year, inspiration for a new beginning, saying good bye to the old, and clinging like dust bunnies to the back of the couch is that faded list of resolutions from last year.
If only I’d done half of last year’s list I’d be:
1. A size 2
2. Creeping up the bestseller list
3. Traveling the country as a roving reporter for a giant media conglomerate
4. Writing travel articles for National Geographic
5. And I would have a clean house!
Alas, poor 2011 I knew you well, and I seriously I never want to see you again.
When CoffeeTime Romance asked if I’d do a blog about “Goals versus Resolutions” I jumped at the chance without thinking how I really sucked at keeping resolutions. Seriously, I am the poster child for broken resolutions.
Goals however, I find much easier to deal with. They are smaller, don’t require any grand announcement and if you don’t meet it, you can add it to the list for next week and don’t have to wait an entire year.
After working with looming deadlines as a writer and in my “real” world job, I’ve found that while resolutions don’t work, goal setting does ““ at least it stands a better chance of lasting longer than the normal seven-days of resolutions!
Over the last few years, I’ve kept a “weekly” goals list. My list contains not only those mundane things like pick-up toilet paper, pay the utility bill or wash a load of towels; it also contains things like write one blog post this week, add two Tweets about my book, write 200 words on my next book. These goals ““ I can do.
When I take these smaller steps and cross them off my list, I just feel, well, like I’ve really accomplished something. This makes my endorphins scream until the dog leaves the room and endorphins make us happy (or so the scientists say). I know how nice it is to cross a line through something I’ve finished.
Instead of saying I’m going to lose twenty pounds in 2012, I’ve changed it to eat three salads this week, lose 5 pounds by February 1st, and walk twice this week. Those things I can do. At the end six months I’ve walked dozens of miles, increased my veggie intake (note the long ears, and wiggly nose) and I’ve lost thirty pounds. Will I make those goals each month? Probably not, except for picking up the toilet paper ““ that is a must. If I make most them at least half the time, I’ll will be reaching my goals and that is what counts.
CCBB: Will you share with us something that your choice helped you accomplish, one that went down in flames, or the top one on your list this year?
By setting small goals, I’ve completed three books in the past year. I set a goal of only several hundred words a week ““ not a resolution for completing three books. Before I realized it, I had one book, then two, and finally three. If I had set out to write three books in 2011, instead of setting small word goals, I would have crashed and burned.
I did crash on the diet of 2011. I not only crashed, I fell off the wagon, and then I add salt and ate the wagon. Sigh. Due to many circumstances involving family, work, and health I went down in flames on that one.
On top of my list for 2012.
Well, for the first week of January I have on my list: box up items to donate to charity, post one blog, write 500 words on my next book, and walk for thirty minutes three times during the week.
I think I can do this list.
CCBB: What’s the weather like where you are today? If you could wrinkle your nose or wave a magic wand would you still be there or somewhere else in this amazing world?
I knew the wiggly nose from those veggies would come in handy!
Today is what I call a “vintage mid-west day” a combination of rain, very damp, capped by a cold north wind with tiny flurries floating down.
There are so many places I’d love to be right now, at least for a visit. But my favorite place is anywhere my family is ““ I love to spend time with them, aggravate and annoy them, and even though I do love to travel, the road always brings be back home.
CCBB: Are you a chronic packrat, a travel-light-in-life devotee or in between?
I’m not much of a packrat except for that collection of books, oh and that collection of material that I will someday sew into something, oh, and those boxes of quilts I said I’d take. Other then that I’m a very light traveler.
Thank you CCBB for hosting me, it’s been so much fun!
Linda McMaken can be found lurking on her blog at www.makenwords.blogspot.com trying to keep her website updated at www.linda-mcmaken.com, and posting witty comments on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/lindamcmaken or at Twitter http://twitter.com/makenwords
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