New Years Resolutions – 2018

I realize that I just posted last night and I never post back-to-back like this –

But hey, it IS New Year, this doesn’t happen all the time, so at least pretend to enjoy it, okay?

It’s January 1st!  Today is the day we make grand plans, even though we’ve just finished looking back at last years resolutions and laughing ourselves silly over how we missed the mark.  (though actually I did reach a few of the goals I made last year)

Why do we do it?  Why torture ourselves?  Is it the moth to the flame phenomena?

Seriously, it’s good to set goals – without goals, we have nothing to shoot for – a bad scenario.  One of the most dangerous things to be is aimless, it will lead not only to sloth and despondency – but indeed, an idle mind is the Devil’s playground.  I am a healthier, happier person when I have goals – as long as I don’t get TOO crazy or let the goals turn into stress.  I LOVE goals.  One of my favorite scriptures that I have just discovered recently is Proverbs 13:19a: “The desire accomplished is sweet to the soul.”  That is definitely true for me and, I believe, for many people – nothing can quite compare to making a goal and sticking to it.  To put it in Allison terms – making a goal is like eating a cupcake.  Accomplishing that goal is like putting a frosting and a cherry on top.   

So!  I am setting goals for 2018.  And here they are.  🙂

Writing

I would like to write every day.  That’s right  – I want to write for 365 days in a row, even if it’s just a measly paragraph.

Publish something – anything.

Continue submitting short stories to magazines.

I also want to do both Camp Nano’s and NaNoWriMo.

As far as other writing projects – I have my all three Nano projects tentatively planned (and my daily writing planned out as well) buuuuut I hesitate to say what they are because OBVIOUSLY, I keep changing my mind about what I’m working on and things happen and I FAIL so –

But, hey, why not.

I’m hoping to concentrate on Ambia for January.  April and July Nano will (hopefully) be drafting and revising my Peter Pan retelling and NaNoWriMo will be devoted to my science fiction “baby.”  It’s tentative, but as of today, that’s what’s happening.  I have more plans but I think I’ll wait to the end of January and see if I make ONE goal before I set myself up for too much failure.

Art

My poor art – how you have been neglected!  I want to do at least 45 minutes a day of drawing and painting.  Partially for original designs for my Zazzle store and partially for another secret project that I won’t share right now . . . . “looks mysterious”

Exercise

Every day, Allison – every day.  You MUST do this.

Mind:  NOOOO.

Me:  I BEG YOU ON MY HANDS AND KNEES – LISTEN TO ME.  You must exercise!

Body:  Just tell her yes and then show her the couch.

Me.  PLEASE!!!

Body and Mind:  Not happening.

WILL:  OH YES, IT IS.

“grim silence”

#pleaseletitbeso

Singing

Yet another thing that MUST happen.

I have gotten so rusty, I used to practice every night so I know it’s possible – and I WILL do it again becauuuse…

Youtube.

I want to post a new song to my channel at LEAST once a month.  #hopes

Reading

Read at least one classic.  Because I want to and I should and it’s important.  #ithink

As far as other reading – I just set my opening goal on Goodreads for 150 books.  I KNOW I’ll read tons more and probably up my challenge but – I’ll just start there for now…

Actually, this is probably the only resolution on this post I have a certainty of succeeding in.

Blogging

Regrettably, I am going to have to cut back a bit on blogging.  That is – from a post every week to three posts a month (counting my Nutshell posts).  So yeah, you’re only missing one post, but this makes me sad.  But I take a long time creating a post and build them as meticulously (and perhaps as top-heavy) as a wedding cake.  Obviously, this takes time away my other writing, which I am now trying to focus on.  To pour quality time into fiction writing, I’ll have to cut back a smidge on the blogging.

Except in January – January will feature my blog party and you are going to get SWAMPED with posts so brace yourself.

However, if you just can’t get enough of me in the future I’ll probably be doing daily updates on Facebook and Twitter and I’ll have exclusive writing updates and bits on my Author Page.

#justkidding

Book Reviews.

I was so proud of myself the last few months for reviewing pretty much every book I read (and most of them were in depth reviews).  I acknowledge (but do not promise) that my reviews might be shorter or spottier in the new year.

Social Media

“coughity cough”  Time to cut back.  It’s been a grand and fun year of discovery on social media, but you could spend your whole life twiddling away the hours online.

While I’ve forged some wonderful friendships online (and that does take time) there have been so many day when I really was JUST WASTING TIME – a LOT of time online, when I was supposed to be working on other things.

It IS addictive and it’s hard to cut back from laziness and toss the distractions, but it IS a distraction.  I have cut back successfully before so I know I can do it again.

So – I am going to try to limit my social media to 30 to 45 minutes a day – no more logging in whenever I feel like that, and I’m going to try to do it at set times.  “squeezes eyes shut and radiates determination”

Private Chats

Some of my good friends might have noticed that I have been sadly AWOL from private hangouts and IChats lately . . . .  And to be honest, it was a really good break.

I was really struggling there for a bit and then just pulled the plug a little and started to find some balance and sanity again and I really needed it.

The problem with being a talkative extrovert is that I don’t always know when to STOP talking, and believe it or not, I do expend energy talking.  (it’s kind of like swinging though, you’re having so much you don’t realize you’ve been converted into a jellified blob until you’re staggering away).  So as much as it pains me to say it, I still won’t be spending much time on private chats.

I talk and listen and listen and talk so much that I forget about my mental and emotional health.  I had so many conversations going on it was getting too chaotic for my feeble wits.  I don’t do well when I have “too many voices” going on in my head.

It’s not that I don’t miss it – I DO!!  But, even I have to cut back on talking . . . #sadness  Not to say that I will be absent COMPLETELY from private chatting.  I hope to pop in maybe on weekends!

Random Goals  

A few DIY projects that have remained conspicuously unfinished the last few months.

And I might actually do a fashion post on Allison’s Well – I had kind of avoided doing it because I was trying to keep my posts more or less unisex – because I have a few rogue male followers – but wellll – this is Allison’s Well and about me and I am a fashionista and I’m all about –

So what WOULD you think about that anyway?

COMMENT MORE ON OTHER PEOPLE’S BLOGS.  This is something I desperately want to do – I read several wonderful blogs regularly and I love those blogs and those bloggers but I’m so bad about commenting.  NO MORE!  “cracks knuckles”

HOWEVER – TO SUM UP

I am still suffering a bit from a nasty cold – I am also having trouble sleeping – and there are other random nails on my race track that could be sending me to my pit crew sooner than I had anticipated.

But that’s okay.  Because the number one goal for 2018 is to trust and rest in God’s will.

I know He wants me to work, He knows the desires of my heart – and I KNOW that His ways are greater than my ways and that He is guiding me in all things.  I also know that life happens – disappointment and distraction are always near – so my goal is to work hard, but to remember and pray daily that I hold my dreams and my goals loosely – that I would listen to Him first, and not myself.  May I worship the Lord, and not my schedule.   

The one thing I can be sure of in 2018 is that God does not change – He is good and He is with me.  The perfect goal and the one goal I know He will bless without fail is a daily plea that He will draw me closer to Him.

SO THAT’S ALL FOR MY 2018 GOALS, CITIZENS.

Goodness, I still can’t believe it’s 2018.  

What are YOUR plans for 2018?  I’d love to hear all about it in the comments!