It's almost 2012, and that means fresh resolutions for the New Year.
Some people don't believe in resolutions, but for me, writing down my goals for the year helps to keep me on track.
1. Submit 4 full-length novels to my publisher
The book I'm using to help me with this is First Draft in 30 Days. I mentioned this book to some folks over at Absolute Write, and a few people told me in no uncertain terms that they hate the book. They said the title is misleading, because in the end you have more of an outline than a first draft. However, I'm OK with that. My goal is to spend one month outlining, one month filling in the outline or writing the book, and one month editing - so three months per book. (My four books are part of a horror/paranormal series called "The M Series." Book one goes to my publisher on January 31.)
2. Continue to write articles for Yahoo! OMG! and Yahoo! News
My ultimate goal is to become a full-time novelist, but in the meantime, I will continue to make money with article writing. I love writing for Yahoo!. There's been some complaints lately, but it's the non-beat writers who are complaining. I have over 10 beats (or permanent weekly writing assignments) with Yahoo! I'm blessed to have the opportunities I have there.
3. Lose weight
This, no doubt, is one of the most popular New Year's resolutions. Trying to lose weight over the holidays is certainly not a smart idea. (You should see all the Christmas candy and cookies in our house.) But I'm heading off to the health club tonight, and I will continue with my nightly workout routine throughout 2012. More important than that, I believe, is watching what I eat. (I know a woman who doesn’t exercise but who lost 40 pounds by eating half of what she usually eats.) I stick to low calorie, healthy food as often as I can, but as a middle-aged woman, there are some pounds that have crept up that I'd like to see go away and never return. People who look at me think I don't need to lose weight. But I know the truth.
4. Get rid of things that my family doesn't need in a big 2012 garage sale
We moved my husband's mother to a retirement home. We got a lot of her stuff. It’s nice stuff, don't get me wrong, but my house feels crowded. All I want to do is go through all the closets and all the drawers and all the cabinets and gather things together for a garage sale. And I get to keep all the money.
What are your resolutions for 2012?
