Never One to Make Resolutions, but Setting Goals? I’m On Board With

Happy New Year! 🥳

I hope you woke this morning feeling excited and ready for a new year. If you woke with a champagne- or bourbon-induced hangover (like one person I know) that carried throughout the day, then I apologize for the upbeat tone of this newsletter. If that’s you, as well, flag this post/newsletter to read first thing tomorrow instead of today.

I absolutely love new beginnings! I love the fresh re-start, a do-over on tasks we failed to complete, or just the chance to set new goals.

I love the opportunity to change my mindset, to strive for something in a different way. You don’t need the start of a new year to make changes, but it’s always a great time to do so. 

I’m not really a maker of resolutions, myself, but I do like some good goal setting. Or said differently, a reprioritization of goals already in place.

For example, I sent out a newsletter Friday and let readers know that my #1 writing goal for 2023 is to finish and publish Danger is in the Shadows. Clearly this is a previously set goal, but due to circumstances outside my control, it is still among my desired wishes.

I’m also still considering what my goals are for this blog/Substack (which is a separate endeavor from the newsletter I mentioned above). So far, I have not blogged/posted on Substack on any set schedule or with any regularity. I’ve definitely tried to post at least twice a month, sometimes more often. Let’s just say that I’m regularly irregular. Or unpredictable.

Blogging is my way of staying in touch with you in between newsletters and to write about specific subjects, ranging from books I’ve read, writing/publishing advice, or just things that interest me. It’s also my replacement for social media, something I’ve stepped back from, and am planning to step even further back from, at least for January.

For now, my goal for the blog/Substack is to actually come up with a more consistent schedule. To be more predictable. Since I work in the corporate world full-time January through April, I’m considering a schedule of posting on Sundays for the next few months. I’d love to hear from you if you have an opinion about this.

As far as other parts of my life…

I’ve struggled with a couple of physical issues lately, so I’m forcing myself to add 15 minutes of yoga to my workout routine at least three days a week. I know how good yoga is for my body and mind. I’ve experienced it in the past. But for some reason, I struggle to keep it as a priority long-term. Maybe this time it will take. We’ll see.

My husband and I have talked about our financial goals at length recently. We are pretty much on the same page with this.

I hope to read more in 2023, and be better about sharing what I read. I will share this on the blog/Substack and on BookBub. If you’re not following me on BookBub, I’d love it if you did?

Like I mentioned above, I stepped back from social media some in 2022. It’s one of those things I’ve thought a lot about. It’s not necessarily a people problem, but more of a time problem. I’m finding that I have a lot of things I wish to do. Just see above. I work full time parts of the year. I want to finish a book. I try to keep a regular fitness routine. I hope to read more. And I have an active family that is my number one priority, including taking care of a husband who recently broke his hand/wrist and is most likely having surgery later this week, also something I mentioned in Friday’s newsletter. I’m just starting to wonder if scrolling through social media on any regular basis is good for me and my goals.

Notice I didn’t say Social Media is bad for everyone. This is not a stand against social media, though I could make that argument. It’s simply a look at how I spend my time and where I can find extra time to accomplish all the things I hope to accomplish. During 2022, I took a hard look at how I spend my time on a regular basis. Then I was honest with myself on which items fit into what I want for my life. Social media just happens to be one of those items that isn’t currently helping me be my best self.

So, we’ll see how it goes. Like I said, I don’t make resolutions. I set goals and then I assess and reassess.

Tell me: What are you doing this year to demand the best from yourself? Do you set goals? Resolutions? What are they? 

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