Tag Archives: writer resolutions

Could 2020 be ‘The Year of the Cheat’?

In my previous post outlining resolutions for 2020, I caught myself proudly ‘cheating’.
Of no surprise, I detoured from finishing the post to tracking down this item from the British Broadcasting Corporation.

A few key points:

  • Cheat days, also called ‘structured flexibility’, can help us stay motivated.
  • By reducing the guilt over breaking the streak, cheating can help us keep focused on the long-term goal.

If this works for you, make 2020, the Year of the Cheat.
Let me know if you have other successful cheats.
Happy New Year
…and if you’re reaching for an extra hit or two of chocolate, we’re not watching [or judging].

A writer’s resolutions

Well, that ‘dying young’ ship has sailed. All the more reason, then, to launch [perhaps, ‘lurch’] forward with my life.

With 2020 on the horizon, then, it’s time to ramp up the resolutions under my creative reinvention umbrella.

Resolution #1: Be a pre-crastinator. Click to the 1:47 mark of Adam Grant’s Surprising Habits of Original Thinkers

“I know, I know,” I say to myself, “Keep dreaming.” But what the hey? Why not fool myself…even if it’s one day a week? One fevered creative surge every seven days is still an improvement.

In the interest of pre-crastination, then, I’m going to cheat and get a head start on…

Resolution #2: Read 20 books this year. That may not sound like much, but I’m aiming for ‘attainable‘. I seem to read plenty, but I don’t finish books like I used to. First on the docket: Art Matters by Neil Gaiman.

I will juggle it [it’s a short read] with Someday Is Not a Day in the Week : 10 Hacks to Make the Rest of Your Life the Best of Your Life

In fact, as I’m doing a little editing on this post, I have this TED Talk running in the background. [Maybe I’m onto something with this whole ‘cheating on your resolutions’ thing.]

Resolution #3: Publish four books. I’m soooo close on at least three, but really, folks, I spend more energy finding excuses to not close the deal on my projects than I do crossing the finish line. Unacceptable.

Resolution #4: Publish at least three online courses. As you can tell, this year is all about finishing. One of them is ongoing, but I’ve stalled on it. The other two are just rattling around in my brain.

Resolution #5: One post per week [at the very least] on my blogs. [Not thrilled with those times when crickets creep from the audience/peanut gallery to the production room.] I forget that posting is a way of keeping myself accountable on various projects. Keeping that perspective should help me stay on target.

Key ‘self-talk’ points:

  1. “Done is better than perfect.” At least one punctuation mark is missing and it’s killing me, but, in the interest of this point…
  2. “Just keep ‘showing up’, especially in the morning.”
  3. “Do the mindless, less creative work while TV is on or you’re on the exerbike.”
  4. “If it feels like drudgery, walk away.”

Any suggestions or comments or mere scoffing? Chime in.

Note: Goodreads links are non-affiliate.

Writers Horoscope for November 1: A nagging doubt returns.

Have you accomplished enough?

hourglass-2846641_1280

Turning another calendar page can have that effect on writers, especially as the days [and perhaps your patience] grow shorter.

Consider making some two-month resolutions.

Maybe…

  • one quality blog post per week.
  • an essay in the form of an open letter to a group whose motives you question.
  • a Christmas letter for the ages [let your sense of humor or your deeply felt insights shine through]
  • a piece that helps advance a cause you have long supported

And then, savor your accomplishment:

http://thewritepractice.com/finish-writing-project/