Mid-Year Review

       

       Here we are, halfway through 2015 (I know, when did that happen?) Since I consider my writing a second job, I thought it would be a good time to give myself a mid-year review. 
       As a refresher, here are my 2015 New Year's Resolutions:

1. Read more blogs about writing, and make comments. Goal: one new blog/comment per week. 
       Well, we're starting off with a fail. I have done neither of these things on a weekly basis. Perhaps this resolution was too ambitious. I'm going to change it to one or two a month and go from there. Baby-step to make it more likely: compose a list of writing blogs so I can easily click and read when I have time. Have ideas of writing blogs for me? Please leave them in comments!

2. Do at least two rounds of queries for my middle grade novel. 
       Ok, this one I feel better about! I have done one round of querying (eight agents) and await to hear from seven of them still (first reply was a "no." Add it to the Rejection Tally). Most agents say they'll respond or pass within eight weeks, so that gives me plenty of time for a second round of querying in the fall!

3. Begin new middle grade novel (I have two ideas I'm kicking around...will let you know which wins). 
       Another win! I have begun a new middle grade novel while I'm waiting to hear back from agents. My new project: an alternate history set in Chicago in the 1960's, in which gender roles are reversed, i.e. women are the dominant sex. Told from the point of view of Theo, a 12-year-old boy who wants nothing more than to grow up, get married, stay home and raise his kids. 

4. Write two blog posts per month.
       Well...not quite. If I'd stuck to this I should have 12 posts this year and I have 8. Three quarters of the way isn't too awful, right? My husband and I bought a house, packed, and moved all between the end of February and the end of March, which sunk writing way, way down on my list of priorities. But it has risen to the top once again! (song playing in my head: "Survivor" by Destiny's Child)

       No need to wallow in the mud of my failures...let's celebrate two out of four resolutions (I mean really, two and three quarters)!! And I now resolve to try a little harder on following other writing blogs, and continue with my own blog posts. 

       Now for you: there are 6 more months left in the 2015 calendar. Time to do a little self-evaluation of your own...revisit resolutions, see where you're at, and re-resolve, if needed. How have you done on your New Year's Resolutions? Can you remember what they are? I wish you the best of luck in tackling old goals and creating new ones, and I celebrate with you in what you've already accomplished thus far! And, even if you think you haven't done much in the way of your goals this year, here's a little Pooh Wisdom to keep in mind: 

Make Your Resolutions Stick (Writing or Otherwise)

Done. 

        I've had a love/hate relationship with New Year's Resolutions for the last several years, but not for the reasons most people have. Here's my beef: if there's something you want to change about your life, why wait 'til January to get started? I get it, it's a fresh start, a new year, the same reason all diets start on Monday. 

       As a regular gym-goer, I always dread the January New-Year's-Resolution onslaught. No parking spots, no free lockers, and 15-minute waits for the ellipticals. Don't get me wrong--I applaud all the people trying to make a positive change in their lives. But, why now? And, why don't I see the same people come June? 

       My big thing recently is to just go ahead and get started on whatever change you want to make as soon as you think of it. I think we've all heard enough stories to realize that our time here is finite; so I say, let's get to it! 

      But, since so many people love the New Year as a time for resolutions, I'd like to offer a few tips I've found useful in actually carrying them out:

1. Do it now. (See above)

2. Make it small and specific. "Lose weight" is an awful resolution (note I said awful resolution, not intention). To make these things attainable, start small and avoid vague goals. Better resolutions might be "Stop drinking sugary soda," or "Work out twice a week." When you have something to work towards, and can then see yourself reaching your goals, it's much more motivating. 

3. Focus on one at a time. Most of us have lots of areas of our lives we'd like to improve: work, health, family, friends, hobbies, finances. But if you try to tackle them all at once, you'll only get overwhelmed and end up accomplishing nothing. Choose one area to start with, and once you've tackled your small & specific goals there and feel comfortable maintaining them, then move on to another area. Or--don't! Relish your success and relax for a while. Good job, you!

4. Get a buddy. If you can't find a friend with a similar goal, then at least tell others about your resolution. Being accountable is a HUGE factor in carrying out your goals (see my previous post about this). If you're the only one who knows about it, it's much easier to just say "forget about it." But if you have someone striving toward the same thing you are, someone to ask you about your progress, or someone to remind you when you slip up--you can't just forget about it. My husband recently had a resolution that he didn't want to tell me because he knew I'd bug him about it if he didn't do it. Well, he's right. But now that I know it's something he's really trying for, I want to support him rather than nag him. 

5. Mistakes are okay. Just because you botch it up and eat that whole package of Oreos does not mean all is lost. Enjoy the Oreos, and start again the next day. Making changes is hard, but don't ditch your resolution just because you aren't successful at it 100% of the time. Didn't anyone notice that I didn't write a blog post for over a month in November/December? Yeah, oops. But here I am, back at it.

6. Reward Thyself: I am a firm believer in giving yourself a little pat on the back for a job well done. Celebrate your successes--and not just at the end of the year. The summer I was training for my 1st marathon and writing my master's thesis, I'd tell myself I'd get an ice cream for every 10 pages written or after the really long runs (note: this reward is not ideal if your goal is losing weight. Maybe buy yourself new shoes or get your nails done instead).  

And now, to follow my own advice on accountability, here are my small, specific 

Writing Resolutions for 2015. 

You hereby have permission to bug me if I don't do them....

-Read more blogs about writing, and make comments. Goal: one new blog/comment per week. 

-Do at least two rounds of queries for my middle grade novel (for non-writers, this means sending it out to agents).

-Begin new middle grade manuscript (I have two ideas I'm kicking around...will let you know which wins). 

-Write 2 blog posts per month. 

Meet you at the ice cream shop!