Being Resolute, Take Two?

Last year I quoted the numbers. "Of the 100,000,000 Americans who make New Year’s resolutions, four out of five do not follow through. That means by the time we’re toasting 2011, 80,000,000 Americans will have failed." I vowed not to be one of the millions, but here I am with champagne still in the fridge and broken resolutions on my calendar. I always want to fulfill them, but without the TARDIS, it ain't gonna happen. So I pick up the pieces, and I move forward into another year, and I make my list again, because that is what we do. We look forward. Despite all the set backs and failures, we look forward and try again. So here is to another try, another toast, another race against the odds. Best wishes for 2011. 

Being Resolute Or Holy Snot A Third of the Year is Gone

Photo by The Husband, Adam

Happy Monday to all.  Do you remember when I went on about resolutions?  Perhaps you tried hard to forget my soap-box-standing, motivational-speaker-quoting bluster, but I am back to remind us all of what we promised ourselves a full four months ago.

When I realized the year was a third gone I had a moment of...well, I'm sure you can imagine the language when I found that I'm 24 books behind my goal for this point in 2010.  I'll give you a brief update on my resolutions so anyone who isn't fulfilling hers will see she's not alone.  But here's the catch: I'm not quitting.  I'm gritting my teeth and recommitting to the goals.  Foolhardy? You betcha.

• I will read at least 100 books this year.   I'm sticking with this one.  I might start counting the nonfiction books I've read, but I'm not going to resort to picture books.  At least not yet.
• I will finish my current rough draft and take it through my editing process. This one I can give a solid check.  The rough draft is done, the editorial letter is done, and I'm going through the chainsaw massacre stage of rewrites.  I'm not as far along as I'd like but hey, I'm happy. 
• I will let at least five people read the finished manuscript. Um, this one might depend on whether anything is left after the aforementioned massacre.  I'm freaking out about letting people read my work.  How do I handle it?  Tonight I sent email inquiries to people starting critique groups.  Yes, I am a masochist, a determined masochist.  
• I will post to Fantastic Spatula before 9 pm every Monday.  It is 9:10 now so this one gets a FAIL.  I'm recommitting to no longer being a nocturnal poster.
• I will write over 500 words every day, come hell, high water, or family reunions. Hell and high water I can handle, but those family people, they are wily.  Like hiring a satellite installer to walk through the front door when I'm up early on a Saturday dressed in a crappy tank top with a towel around my freshly scrubbed hair so I can get to work before the distractions begin.  You've got to get up really early in the morning to beat these people.

Oh, I've added another biggie.  In March I decided to launch River City Fiction, a blog dedicated to the community of authors, readers, librarians, and booksellers in Richmond.  I plan to have it up and running sometime in July.  Loco, no?


What about you?  How are you progressing on your resolutions?  Have you added new ones?  Don't be shy. 

Deviations

All this talk about resolutions and following muses reminded me of the importance of deviations. True, I was the one touting resolve a week ago. But sometimes, even with the strongest determination, things come up that make you take a detour.

During a trip to Kenya, I loved the road signs; especially, the use of deviations.

Then I returned home and the lovely Lucy had a museum exhibition. Among the art was a photograph of yours truly. I was touched. However, that didn’t cause the goose bumps and tingling nose that come right before I cry.

Here is the photograph.

At that time, I was studying for my masters, on the road toward a doctoral degree studying Hebrew and Old Testament. I loved the study. I liked teaching, but it wasn’t for me.

Lucy captured a moment of truth. I had one way to go, but I was deviating from it. It was difficult. If I stayed, I had the support of family, friends, professors, college advisors, even the congregation of my home church. If I left, I had a lot of explaining to do.

I left. And I have not looked back, not even once. An unexpected deviation has given me an intriguing job and the time to pursue my dream. As you’re plugging away on those resolutions, don’t forget to leave room to follow uncertainty or seek a different path to where you want to go. There is never just one way.

Being Resolute

I love the days between Christmas Eve and December 31. Last week I spent time with loved ones laughing, catching up, singing, worshiping, cooking, and gorging. This week I’m enjoying time at home and savoring the last days of Christmas lights and sparkly greeting cards. It is also the time for New Year’s resolutions.

I can hear you groaning. I admit resolutions do not have an auspicious history. The American mercantile ship Resolution had its crew massacred in the Cumshewa Inlet in 1794. The Resolution was also the name of an airliner that crashed in San Francisco on October 29, 1953. All nineteen passengers died. Of the 100,000,000 Americans who make New Year’s resolutions, four out of five do not follow through. That means by the time we’re toasting 2011, 80,000,000 Americans will have failed.

Despite those facts, I love resolutions. The idea of mapping the next 365 days of my life thrills me. Actually, I make resolutions twice a year. Every year on my birthday and on January 1, I sit down and write a recap of the great things that happened in the previous year. I include what I did, where I traveled, who I met, the relationships rekindled, the ways I came to know my husband better, and any other memory that makes me smile. My thankful-lists take up many pages of my journals. Then, I plan how the upcoming year can be as great as—or better than—the previous one.

For 2010, I am determined not to be one of those 80,000,000. I will have concrete goals. I will outline steps to get me there. They will be quantifiable, so I know when they are achieved. They will depend on me and my actions, not the goodwill of the universe. For example, I cannot make editors or agents love my story. I can make sure I write every day and send my work out to x-number of agents and/or editors in 2010.

And I will be resolute.

I believe that trait is the ingredient missing from many of those 80,000,000. Perhaps they do not have the firm determination necessary to see their goals through, even if the goals are concrete, quantifiable, and attainable. Perhaps these people do not really think they have it in them. Maybe they doubt whether they are worthy of what they want.

Did you know that Merriam-Webster lists faithful as a synonym of resolute? I love the idea that we can be steadfast in our loyalty to ourselves and our future. We can be faithful to ourselves and our dreams.

And we can be faithful to one another. The expert go-getters say enlisting a team of supporters helps people work toward their goals. I’d really appreciate it if you would be part of my team. I’m going to list a few of my work-related goals. Feel free to cheerlead, taunt, or give a motivational kick in the arse.

• I will read at least 100 books this year. You can follow my progress here.
• I will finish my current rough draft and take it through my editing process. (The process is already outlined, but I won’t bore you with it.)
• I will let at least five people read the finished manuscript.
• I will post to Fantastic Spatula before 9 pm every Monday.
• I will write over 500 words every day, come hell, high water, or family reunions.

Of course, I will return the favor and cheer you on. What are your plans for making magic or mayhem in 2010? How do you want me to spur you on?

Happy New Year!