Happy New Year!

Plans! Goals! Revisions! Reviews! Resolutions! Hopes! Dreams!

‘Tis the season.

Even if you don’t write them down in a journal, these things are probably fluttering about in your head.

They are in mine.

They don’t like to be ignored.

I read about the idea of reflecting on the past year to understand what went right, what went wrong, and what still resonates.

The idea is that doing so will make you more successful going forward.

If you wrote down your hopes/dreams/plans last year, pull out that list.

Review it.

Then ask yourself those questions: what went right, what went wrong, do I still want any of this?

Now you have a foundation for your 2023 plans.

Notice I didn’t say resolutions or wishes.

People don’t tend to write resolutions anymore.

Resolutions are forgettable.

And wishes are wishy-washy.

A wish without a plan is like blowing dandelion fluff into the air and hoping for a miracle.

Wishes are great.

Don’t get me wrong.

But if you’re not plotting your way to the outcome, your chances of getting there are slim.

I wish I would find an agent for my novels.

I wish I would write a thousand words a day.

I wish I would stop eating sugar.

I wish I would read more current middle-grade novels.

I wish I would see my friends more.

I wish, I wish, I wish…

Becomes

My plan, my plan, my plan…

Start out with a wish list then make yourself a plan to get those wishes.

A plan is your workhorse.

It helps you see what is within your control and what’s not.

A plan is like Play-doh.

Mold it, shape it, smooth out the inevitable lumps, see what’s possible, and pretty soon you’ve got yourself a pinch pot.

Or a statue of David.

Or something in between.

But you’ve got something.

On my list, I’m certain that “stop eating sugar” won’t happen because I kind of don’t really want to.

But I will make a plan to eat less of it.

Also on that list: Find an agent for my novels.

I have no control over that.

All I have control over is sending out good query letters to agents.

The rest is up to them.

So I have a plan to pitch five agents a month.

And after talking to my writing coach (yes, I have a writing coach and she’s excellent. Shout out to Suzanne Lieurance at www.writebythesea.com).

Anyway, after talking to my writing coach, I have another method of finding an agent.

It’s going to take a circuitous route, one that I’ve been avoiding.

But now I see the value in it.

More on that in later posts.

Bottom line—when you make a plan, you’re more likely to do the things day after day that move you closer to your vision of what you want your life to look like.

Whether your goal is writing, painting, buying a new house, learning to bake a darn good loaf of bread, make a step-by-step plan.

Make each step so tiny that you can accomplish it easily.

That will motivate you to continue.

And along the way, every step is worth celebrating.

Celebrate all your wins this year.

Cheers to a happy and successful 2023, whatever that looks like for you.

~Gail

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