Christmas is behind us, my tree is down, and I am beginning to feel a tiny sense of routine returning, but we still have two more day's before all the New Year's festivities are over, so I won't get my hopes too high. In the meantime, I'll continue to debate the issue of making New Year's resolutions for 2013. I didn't do well with the ones I made for 2012. It wasn't for lack of trying, but then, isn't that the excuse everyone uses.
Looking back over the year, I was surprised to
find, in spite of all the disruptions, I’d managed to keep half of the
resolutions I made in 2012. Okay, half
might be stretching it. Maybe I didn't keep half, but more than I expected. I started a
new blog page, Sheila's Morning Pages, was elected
President of my writer's group, and kept at least one of my daily prompts (most
days). In addition, one of the short stories I submitted made it to the top 40 as a finalist in the WOW,
Women on Writing, Summer 2012 Flash Fiction Contest. So, 2012 wasn't a complete
washout.
Nevertheless, I'd be lying if I didn't say this past
year has been challenging for me personally. Life definitely got in the way, as
it often does. I’m a planner by nature and this year was a frustrating year for me as a writer. If I learned anything, during this time, it was this: you can’t plan life; you have to go where it takes you. To quote John
Steinbeck, "... the best laid plans... often go awry."
That's not to say this diehard planner won't make a few plans or set a few goals for 2013. But, New Year's Resolutions... I don't know. I think I'll leave
those for the hard-line resolvers, like you, perhaps, and stick to simpler,
short-term goals, more suited to my hectic and unpredictable life.
Like, "Today,
I will...."
What about you? What are your New Year's Writing
Resolutions? Leave a comment, I'd loved to know, and please have a Happy and safe
New Year's.
"Life is what happens while you are making other plans."
