Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Looking Back...and Looking Forward...

As 2007 draws to a close and 2008 is soon to be born, it's a time for reflection and goal-setting. Many people establish goals without looking back. I'm raising my hand and saying, "Yep, me too!" However, if you don't look at what the changes you've made in the past year, how you've grown, things you've learned...how can you establish credible, accomplishable, inspiring goals?

In the past, I've set goals based on what I want to accomplish. Sometimes they have been unrealistic...things I've set as a way to challenge myself to do more, more more! Sometimes I succeed, sometimes I fail.

This year, I've looked at how I've grown, how I've changed, what I've changed, and one important question a fellow author asked: "If you do the same thing next year as you've done this year, will you end up in the same place?" My answer was yes. And that's not where I want to be.

My biggest obstacle this year is finding quiet time to write. Working full time leaves little time for "my writing time." With the few hours in the evening, I have a husband who needs and deserves my time. I have children and when they call, they deserve my time. My aging mother deserves my time. My pets deserve my time. So, how do I relieve my self-imposed stress? I need to make a change. So...my most important goal is to set the alarm earlier so I can write without distractions for an hour or more each morning. It's within my control. I just have to decide which is more important...snuggling beneath the covers for that extra time or accomplishing a few pages of writing. I know once I get "in the groove", it will work for me.

What are my goals for 2008?

1. Attend the ACFW conference in September (Minneapolis)
2. Set my alarm an hour and a half earlier, and go to bed an hour earlier
3. Write two pages every day

How about you? How will you establish your goals for the new year?

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