Monday, December 31, 2012

Happy New Year...ahem...Tomorrow, Anyway

Okay, so I know it's a little early to say Happy New Year, but I'll be busy tomorrow, so you get it today.  Plus, I was part of engineering the end of the world on the 21st, so I figured I'd make up for it by ushering in 2013.  You do know, of course, that there is an apocalypse predicted to happen before tomorrow, right?  Wait, this blog isn't just about apocalypses...

Anywho, speaking of the new year, I don't really do resolutions, but I can't help but look at past goals and see where I am with them, and what I'd like to accomplish in the next year.  So I guess I sort of do resolutions, but not in the same sense as some?


As part of this, and before I mention next year's goals, I thought I'd revisit my Project 52 goals.  You can't see that tab right now, because I can't get the darned tabs/pages to wrap around and make a second row, so I can only have a couple visible at a time.  But, I will pass along what else I've achieved recently and the total numbers of finished goals.

13. Complete skinwalker short story
22. Journal
25. Write 1000 words daily for a week (excluding weekends) (did this one, INCLUDING weekends, yeah, baby!)
37. Don't forget to enjoy writing - if something becomes no fun, take a break and try something new (while this was meant more as a reminder, I've done it!  I haven't hated writing or felt pressured to do it so much as before)

I have some that were partially finished, but I decided they couldn't be listed.  Darn it.

So, my total for the year of finished over total was: 19/52

Yikes!  But I tell you what, I look at some of those goals now and go...meh.  And I accomplished things I hadn't listed, such as several more short stories, a couple submissions, presented workshops at two different events, booked at least one more for next year, and doing my very first blog hop that wasn't someone else's idea!  So, guess what?  I'm good with what I've accomplished this year.

For next year, I'll be updating my Project 52 list, and I hope to try to keep some track of books I read.  I'd also like to try to submit something each month, whether that be a short story, flash fiction, an article, a poem or a photograph  (or, by all means, a novel).  For my Project 52 list, I will be putting non-writing related goals on it this time, as last year I padded it with things I didn't necessarily really want to do, which is no way to create goals.  If I don't care about them, or they don't make sense for this year, what's the point?  So I'll look at modifying that, OR I'll reduce the number of goals I have to begin with, and simply add things as I go along.  A year is a long time, though sometimes it doesn't feel like it, and I know that my goals and ideals changed throughout the year in 2012, mutating as things progressed, and I came up with plenty of new goals that never found their way onto the list, but would have been crossed off had I done so.

Despite that, this year was a rather amazing year, and one I'll never forget, for many reasons.  I learned a lot, stretched myself outside my comfort levels on multiple occasions, became a part of some new things (another element of putting myself out of my comfort levels), took on some big jobs, and changed the way I saw certain things.  I survived the Waldo Canyon Fire.  I successfully took my kids on adventures this summer.  I started volunteering at the school.  

It has, overall, been a good year.

And for that, I'm thankful.

Have a wonderful 2013, everyone!

What are your goals or resolutions?  Did you achieve any of what you hoped to over the last year?  

May you find your Muse.




11 comments:

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

You've had a busy year.
I have three goals set and one includes making a decision.
Have a great New Year, Shannon!

A Beer for the Shower said...

I'd like to think I had a successful 2012, and I'm looking forward to more success in 2013. What you said about enjoying writing was spot on - we can set all these goals for writing a certain word count, but if you're not enjoying what you're putting out, then the quality is going to suffer.

Happy New Year!

Carrie-Anne said...

Congratulations on the goals you were able to complete!

My goal in the new year is to finish my WIP. I'm probably around the 100,000-word mark now, and my guesstimate is that it'll be 450,000 words. I've written superlong books in a few months before, so I'm confident I'll be done with it by the summer.

Andrew Leon said...

Goals? Where we're going, we don't need goals.

Chuck said...

Shannon I am envious of the amount of stuff you got done this year. You should be proud. Looking forward to your theme in this upcoming A-Z. Have a great New Year!

Tamara said...

Glad you had a good year and I love the idea of all these smaller goals rather than one overwhelming big one. I think I might have to try this. I also like the idea of making sure to write down the goals I accomplish this year, even if they weren't something I originally set out to do--that way, next year when I look back, I'll be able to physically see the things that have changed.

Good luck in 2013--I hope it's even better than 2012!!

Jeff Hargett said...

It sounds as though you made a mighty big dent in those goals that really mattered and that is what's important. Hope you continue to find success in the coming year.

Anonymous said...

Happy New Year!

Tyrean Martinson said...

Sounds like you've had a wonderful year! I set a whole bunch of goals for myself last year, and I think I accomplished one or two . . .maybe. I think I need to keep a reminder list on my blog or somewhere.

Tyrean Martinson said...

Congrats on accomplishing your goals!!!

Shannon Lawrence said...

Alex, I hope you're making progress with your decision.

ABftS, I completely agree. When I stop enjoying it, it's time to take a break.

Carrie-Anne, wow, you blow me away! Good luck with your goal!

Andrew, we don't need no stinkin' goals?

Chuck, thanks so much!

Tamara, that's what I want to do, record the ones I do accomplish, not just the ones on the to-do list. It's so easy to forget just how much one has accomplished.

Jeff, thank you! I did make a dent, so that is good.

Susanne, Happy New Year!

Tyrean, it works for me to have a tab on here that I can refer to. I don't refer to it as much as I'd like, but I DO remember occasionally.