Resolutions and Fresh Starts

 

I’ve never been one for New Year’s resolutions. Except for the year I was determined to be able to run (as exercise, apparently it’s fun). I did it but it’s not fun for me. The point is that I achieved what I’d set out to do. Unlike the years I was going to give up smoking (I did eventually) or lose weight (I’ve only managed so far to find more) or something else hard that I had zero motivation to see through.

This year instead of resolutions, I’ve decided on a fresh start. A fresh story idea. A fresh notebook. A fresh set of goals for the year. I know it’s not that easy because I have stuff leftover from 2019 so I made myself a to-do list. Edits for a new release, finish another manuscript that shouldn’t be still sitting half-done, odds and ends that need to be taken care of. Once I’ve finished with my to-do list, then I can start the new story.

I trawled the overly optimistic happy places on the web to put together five tips for sticking to your plans!

-Dream big but break the dream down into smaller, more manageable steps.

-Fully understand and accept why you want what you want.

– Commit yourself! And maybe have a reward system? Small steps, small rewards, big steps, big rewards. (I hold off watching the next episode until I’ve written the words)

– To make new habits, you have to give yourself time to settle into the new routine.

– Don’t be hard on yourself if you fail or begin to falter. The only way to learn and do better is to fail in the first place. Just don’t stay there, in the land of ‘I can’t do it’. Pick yourself up and start fresh, look at it from a new angle, try again.

Whether you’re a resolution setter or a to-do lister, make some goals, set a routine, find a little structure. No matter what your 2020 looks like, we’re here for you!

Bronwyn.


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