How’d Those Goals Work Out?

 

The start of a new year is packed with optimism. A new year, full of opportunities to accomplish great things.

Then December rolled around. Achievements? Not so many.

 

I try to set ambitious goals for myself. But the past few years, it’s been nearly impossible. Too many deaths or family needs. Not to mention the joyous addition of a new grandson. Life has a way of changing our plans.

And so does procrastination. Too much worrying about getting things perfect instead of just doing my best caused me to waste entirely too much time.

So what got done this year?

1. Finish drafting Stinging Power, #3 in my fantasy quartet

Stinging Power was my NaNo novel last year, and I did have well over 50,000 words by the end of November, 2015. I planned to finish it by the end of January. It took me until the end of March, partly because the story just kept spinning itself longer and longer.

2. Finish revising Raising Fear, #1 in the quartet

The best I can say here is that I got started. I have some good feedback from beta readers, and have lots of notes. I do think when I’m done, I’ll have a much stronger story. Now it’s just a matter of getting down to business.

3. Edit Raising Fear

Didn’t get there.

4. Publish Raising Fear

Or here, either.

5. Revise Wanting Justice, #2 in the quartet

Or here.

6. Edit Wanting Justice

Or here. Sigh.

7. Blog weekly

This I did keep up with. Score 1!

8. Track my productivity and hold myself to a serious work schedule

I had such good intentions…

9. Find critique partners

Does sporadic participating in an on-line group count?

10. Participate in NaNoWriMo.

I realized by September, this wasn’t going to happen. Part of the problem is I didn’t have an idea that really grabbed me. I also knew I was going to get caught up in all kinds of non-writing related tasks that attempting NaNo wasn’t going to be at all realistic. Little did I know that in November there would be a death in the family, and the death of a close friend.

But what went wrong?

The big problem, I think, is my fear of turning out a second-rate, dull novel that no one will want to read. The solution is to get down to work and make sure that’s not going to happen.

As they say, you can’t beat someone who won’t give up. And that’s really the difference between success and failure.

Happy New Year, everyone! Here’s to your success in the New Year!