Friday, December 30, 2011

To Resolve or Not to Resolve, that is the question

I recently went back and looked at my post at the beginning of 2011 that contained my New Year's Goals and Resolutions. Oh boy, was that sobering!

For my writing goals, I did pretty well. I did indeed heavily promoted my two releases, Deadly Currents and A Real Basket Case. And I edited Wicked Eddies (and turned it in) and Basketful of Troubles (third book in the Claire Hanover Gift basket Designer series), though I haven't done a final pre-turn-in edit for Basketful of Troubles that addresses my agent's comments on the manuscript. So that's an incomplete goal. Another incomplete goal was to write the rough draft for Cataract Canyon, the third book in the RM Outdoor Adventures series. Instead of finishing, I'm about 3/4th's done and hope to finish in January.

One out of three goals met? Not so good. But at least the other two goals are both at least 3/4ths done.

Now, on to the resolutions. My writing-related one was to spend more time on writing and editing and less on promoting and networking. I think I did accomplish that, though I still spent more time on promoting and networking than I would have liked. If I'd been able to cut back more on those, maybe I would have finished those two goals. Sigh!

My non-writing-related resolution was to shed a few pounds. I did do that, but of course, I'd like to shed a few more. I just can't seem to get under my post-baby weight after my son was born 21 years ago. I gained ten pounds with each pregnancy, and that extra twenty pounds has very stubbornly hung on. I guess I should be grateful that I've managed to periodically lose extra pounds that I gained on top of those. My hope now is that moving to Breckenridge, Colorado will encourage me to adopt more of an outdoorsy, active lifestyle that will show positive results in weight loss.

So, given the mixed results on this year's goals and resolutions, my quandary now is whether or not to even bother to set some for 2012. What do you think? Should I? Are you? What are your goals and/or resolutions for the next year?

6 comments:

Writer Pat Newcombe said...

Maybe set some very achievable goals? Just one or two. Then you can feel virtuous about reaching them at years end.
I do think that most people set too many goals and when they fall by the wayside - as they probably will do if they have over reached themselves - they feel they have underachieved. Better to be conservative, I think...

Beth Groundwater said...

Thanks for your suggestion to be conservative with my goals, Pat! Better to aim low and feel good about overachieving than the opposite, huh? What does everyone else think?

Vickie said...

I don't do resolutions any longer. They don't work and I feel badly afterward.
I plan on continued modifications to my activity and weight loss for my personal goals.

Manageable goals, one step at a time goals, are the best ones.

Beth Groundwater said...

Thanks, Vickie, for your comment. Yes, making small, one-step-at-a-time goals is more sensible, I think, than setting a goal for the whole year.

Rena Jones said...

I like setting resolutions, just as long as they're realistic. Good luck with yours, if you decide to make any, and Happy New Year to you!

Beth Groundwater said...

Thanks, Rena, and a very happy new year to you, too!