New Year's Resolutions

I don’t believe in Resolutions. Probably it goes back to the way I feel about Always and Never since a Resolution usually involves that thought process. Also, because I have discovered that I’m commitment-phobic--and no, not the “I can’t commit to marriage” commitment phobia, but the “Oh Lord, I have a deadline?” Phobia. Oh, and I have at least two books on Procrastination on my bookshelf that I didn’t purge, nor have I read, although I’ve had them both for over ten years…

I do believe in Goals. I love goals. I am always revising, revamping, reworking, and resetting Goals! I also love all the charts and graphs you can make when you set goals. They are cool and fun and you can color code them and make them with squares big enough for checkmarks or even small stickers! Yeah, I’m all about the checking stuff off…

Many years ago I wrote a list of Ten Goals I wanted to Accomplish out of my life. So far I’ve done like eight of them. Not too shabby. But the two or three left are pretty huge. Graduate from College. Oh, and not just any college, I was specific, I want to graduate from Brigham Young University. Yeah, that’s still a goal. Get published? Yeah, that’s a goal. Even though I have technically achieved that goal a couple of times (yep, even got paid!) I know it’s not really done because my real goal is to have books by the checkout register at the grocery store with embarrassing covers on them with my name splattered across the top…

Bodice Ripping Drama: Dripping with Sappy Lines and Sexy, Rich Heroes/Heroines… BY KATRINA DUVALOIS!!! Yeah, I want to embarrass my family. But I don’t really write that stuff… haha, gotcha didn’t I!

I like reviewing my goals frequently. I am always trying to improve so it’s not difficult to revamp and rework my goals. What is difficult is accepting what I can and cannot do. And I have to add that I believe it’s a Can and Cannot RIGHT NOW. Because RIGHT NOW I am not working on the college goal. I have no education goals for this year, except to get my oldest child graduated and off to college. I tell my kids to GET IT DONE because trying to do it later stinks. It’s too hard. My only Education-related goal for myself this year is to read. A lot. And from the booklists of classics and recommended reading for Masters of English. Just because I don’t have the paper doesn’t mean I can’t do the reading.

Writing? Well that baby is in motion. I have some serious writing goals for this year. Mostly because I don’t want a real job, I have to justify my time someway. I really Really REALLY want to FINISH a novel. Finish as in Beginning to Middle to End. And it makes sense, and it’s Edited and it’s ready to Submit. I have the most amazing outlines for at least two novels right now. I have no trouble stymie-ing myself so I’m only on Chapter 4 of 25 on one of them. Yeah, I could use some PRODDING. [hint, hint]

The other area of my life that needs work is purely financial. I have started and stuck to my spending fast. I accidentally bought something on Ebay over the holidays but when it arrived I gave it to my daughter (didn’t fit me anyway--haha) so that was a wash… And if you haven’t done Ebay then you don’t know how easy it is to “accidentally” buy something… No books. No clothes. And even more impressive; No Shoes! I’m starting to feel the itch but my family’s needs are more important so it’s fine. [twitch]

Mary Kay Ash said, You don’t change the goal, you just change the date. That’s my goal for this year. To keep my goals and just keep plugging away until they become reality. At least I only have a couple of areas to really work on. Or at least that I am going to work on. Sorry everyone. Not much of a New Leaf for me. Just a better, improved me. That’s the goal. But it’s not my Resolution. I don't believe in them.