Nothing keeps a person more honest than making resolutions. Let me rephrase that: Nothing keeps a person more honest than making resolutions, if made with a bent toward realism. Example: This year I resolve to write 5,000 words per week and query over a hundred literary agents...NOT!
Granted, at times I'm crazier than a shit-house rat, but I'm not stupid. Do not expect to see any writing goals on my resolution list because I know myself well enough to realize that I write when the spirit moves me. If spirit feels up to the challenge, then maybe I'll follow its lead.
And that's how, in my opinion, resolutions should be made, geared toward the doable and not the impossible. That said, without further adieu, here are my resolutions for 2010 (in no particular order):
1. Avoid naysayers at all costs. Last year I allowed the negativity of others to affect me. Not they did so intentionally. Some people just can't help but to whine about everything. EVERYTHING! They start off with just a few gripes, and I always lend a sympathetic ear, and that's when the wheels fall off my "compassion" wagon. It's as if these people only need the slightest bit of "Oh, I know what you mean" before they soon unload the rest of their negative vibes all over. It's happened at school; it's happened at blogs, which brings me to resolution number
2. No visiting blogs that either speak of the cold-heartedness of the publishing industry, or ones whose followers relate their experiences with the cold-hearted publishing industry. I get it. People get burned. We all do at times, but does it help to rain all over my optimistic parade? I blame myself for allowing the naysayers to get under my skin. Forgive them; they are clueless. Moving on to number
3. Stop taking people at face value. I charge myself with this offense and plead guilty as charged. At times I wear blinders, which work in two directions: Either I see nothing but good, or nothing but bad. I have jumped to conclusions about a person's character without allowing it to unfold further. Shame on me. Sometimes it's too late to warm up to a person whose first impression was prickly, and sometimes it's too late to back away when a person's true colors make me want to run screaming. I need to listen to my guardian angel more, which brings me to number
4. Pay closer attention to my gut feelings. Why, oh why, do I always ignore that little voice in my head? Sure, maybe it's hard to hear over all the other ones, but I've felt that twinge in my gut that tells me something is bad or good and have ignored it completely. Plus, I have a tendency to think that everyone else knows more than me. That said, I ignore my own process, which ultimately turns into a real buzz kill, which leads me back to number 1, called number
5. Stay away from buzz kills. When I have a shiny new idea, or just something that makes me feel all tingly inside, I need to share it with no one except, perhaps, my guardian angel.
6. (The autonomous one.) Only visit uplifting blogs, and stop wasting time visiting and commenting at one where there is no reciprocation. Sounds childish? Maybe, but I give my comments in-depth thought. The least I can get is the same in return. Is that asking too much?
So, there it is, etched in figurative granite for all to see and hold me accountable.
Happy 2010!
