New Years Already?

I have been avoiding writing a New Year’s post. Why, you ask? I think a majority of you can already guess the why. I have been thinking back to last year’s goals and how I didn’t meet a single one of them and wondering why I try to make goals at all and feeling like a complete and utter failure. No, I didn’t finish my book, lose any weight, or make money writing. What exactly did I do with the last year?

Well, I traveled – a lot! – for work. I . . . didn’t GAIN weight, even if I didn’t lose it – and that is a first for me in several years. I wrote half of a different book, even if I didn’t finish the one I was working on yet. I wrote a lot more regularly, and it isn’t nearly as forced as it was at the start of last year. I have mentioned my love of writing to at least 5 people, which is 5 more than I have told in probably 10 years. And I realized that I don’t really care if I make money writing. I just want to write what I want to write. And I got several articles (granted, very non-fiction) published for my work. Does company/government publications count? I have decided they do. At least to an extent. It is far more than I have done in a long time.

So, after much deliberation, I have decided that although I met none of my goals last year, I TOOK STEPS toward meeting them, which, again, is more than I can say for previous years. So, I am going to chance it yet again:

1. Lose 20 pounds (yes, I am making my goal less than last time. Trying to be more realistic here, people – stop judging me.)
2. Finish the first draft of at least ONE of my books (no, I am not going to say which one, because I am going to write whatever I want to write, and I am cutting out the editing part because I already know how long that is going to take)
3. Submit something for publication at least once every two months (yes, I am being easy on myself. And Writer’s Digest contests count.)
4. Have a rudimentary knowledge of Russian by the end of the year (I did when I graduated and completely let it slip – so there is no reason I can’t have a basic knowledge of the language again in a year, right?)

I feel like I am letting myself off easy this year. But as most people know, there is always a secret hope that you will accomplish more than you set out to do. So I figure if I set my goals lower than I actually want, maybe I will actually reach them?

And my 15 minute break at work is up, so that is it for now! Breathe deeply with relief, everyone – you just barely missed an irrational outburst of the meaning behind goals, how I have changed over the past year(s), and who knows what else?