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New Year’s resolutions get a lot of flack. In fact, my husband calls them a bunch of nonsense. “You should do what you’re supposed to all year long. Not because of a holiday,” he says. God bless the Dutch and their practical logic.

But I disagree in some ways. We humans are creatures of ceremony after all, and making goals as the New Year begins can have a grander impact on the psyche than, say, some random day in April while you’re lounging on the couch (Forgive me, all those who have made couch resolutions.)

Naturally, there are a few points to keep in mind when making resolutions to avoid the “nonsense” issue. They need to be specific. Measurable. It’s not, “I’ll be kinder this year.” It’s “I’ll give someone a compliment every day and I’ll make a note on the calendar afterward.”

As a writer, I think resolutions are especially helpful. Goals help to ground me because, let’s face it, I don’t exactly live on planet Earth most of the time. Tethers are good. They help focus my energy toward getting things done.

There’s a lot I want to accomplish, but the goals/resolutions I’ve set for this year are those I actually have control over.

Here they are:

  1. I will publish the damn book
  2. I will read something about craft every day (but I’m allowed the weekends off)
  3. I will attend at least one writer’s conference (MNCon, here I come)
  4. I will listen to criticism
  5. I will keep up my blog and social networks
  6. I will support other self-published authors through my blog

Phew, it’s going to be a busy 2016 but I’m definitely raring to go!

Anyone else made resolutions or goals for this year?