Thursday, January 9, 2020

New Year, Same Old Thang - NOT

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

What is one of the most common questions people ask when a new year rolls around?

Can you believe it's the beginning of another year? Where did last year go?

This can churn all sorts of emotions: joy, excitement, growth from reflection, and sometimes angst in the gut - especially for writers. All those goals you set the previous January are now starring you down, boring a hole through your confidence and asking you why some didn't get accomplished. And the ones that did don't seem as important now as when you reached them.

That is just wrong, right? #lifeangst

Is it that you'll never be satisfied with achieving a goal? Or that the goal was a mere stepping stone to the next goal, which makes the first goal seem . . . yeah, fair-weathered? Or could it be setting goals at the beginning of the year, which gives these particular goals so much value? I mean, you set and reach goals everyday. You decided the groceries need to be done and you go do them. You have to drive kid#2 to practice, so you make that happen, too.

Yeah, little decisions are setting little goals that lead to something more complete.

Think of your writing life like that.

***
This month's IWSG question: January 8 question - What started you on your writing journey? Was it a particular book, movie, story, or series? Was it a teacher/coach/spouse/friend/parent? Did you just "know" suddenly you wanted to write?

OTHER PARTICIPANTS


The awesome co-hosts for the The awesome co-hosts for the January 8 posting of the IWSG are T. Powell Coltrin, Victoria Marie Lees, Stephen Tremp, Renee Scattergood, and J.H. Moncrieff!


Wishing you many blessings and growth throughout this new year!

26 comments:

  1. I like that analogy for our writing lives. Knowing we complete those little goals along the way might increase confidence in the bigger goals. I'm going to try that!
    Wishing you and yours all the best for 2020 - hope it's kind to your family!!

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    1. Thank so much, Jemi! Same to you. I'm sure you'll do amazingly!

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  2. You're absolutely right. We set goals every single day. We put our minds to accomplishing all sorts of things! Prayers that your year is much better!

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  3. The older I get the faster the time goes, just like Pretty Pony Time (Stephen King). I seldom set goals down on paper or screen, but they're in my head, reminding me...except for the ones I forget, lol.

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    1. OMGosh, I love this response! Yup, if I remember mind, too. Funny how that works now. I'm glad to see you're doing well. Looking forward to seeing what 2020 has in store for both of us.

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  4. Yup. Every journey is composed of tiny steps. Sometimes just heading in the right direction is a huge accomplishment!

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    1. Oh, I hear you! Remembering that even the small steps forward are important can be hard sometimes. But so needed.

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  5. I like the idea of setting small goals. They are so much more manageable and easy to accomplish.

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    1. Agreed, or at least take a big goal and chop it up into smaller, more manageable pieces. We were talking about that on #mglitchat last night.
      Wishing you many blessings this new year, Natalie!

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  6. Daily-weekly-monthly goals should all be a step in the right direction for a big goal. They give us a sense of accomplishment.

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    1. Yes, that sense that we've gotten something done is so important. When it comes to writing, it's part of my fuel. 
      Happy New Year!

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  7. We do set and meet goals every day. I like thinking of it that way. :)

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  8. I get more done setting micro goals. My confidence so so. I am late making the rounds. Happy IWSG!

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  9. Little decisions, small goals, make it all possible. One step at a time.

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    1. Funny how it sounds so simple when we say it out loud. Living it everyday can be a challenge sometimes, though.
      Happy New Year, Lynda!

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  10. "Little decisions are setting little goals that lead to something more complete." Yes they do, S.A. Baby steps, I call them. All the best to you in 2020.

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  11. Great point, Sheri. I'm great at beating myself up for what I don't accomplish. People are always telling me how they're amazed at how many books I write, or asking how I "do it all," and all I see are the goals I didn't meet last year.

    While I do want to get better at making writing a priority, even when life gets crazy, I have to get better at giving myself some credit too. Happy New Year!

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    1. Very true. It's so easy to see what's left undone as opposed to what we've accomplished already. Guess we'll all just have to remind each other.
      Happy New Year to you, too!

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  12. That's so true. Setting smaller goals makes sense, because they all build up to those bigger goals.

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  13. I think we need to recognize our small steps as accomplishments and feel good about them. Yes, we all look at the big picture and want to achieve what the ultimate goal is, but you don't get there overnight.

    Good thoughts here!

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  14. Wise words. I see writing much like a hallway. Little steps are just as valuable as big ones in bringing us forward. Happy New Year!

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  15. Great advice! Goals aren't necessarily huge, and we don't have to set them only once a year. It's all about the small steps.

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    1. Yes. And I find that setting too many goals or too big of a goal my confidence and passion to reach it/them dwindles fast.

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