Four Tips For Keeping Those New Year's (Writer's) Resolutions

I admit it, I am a bad writer. Or is it a poor writer? Actually I am a poorly disciplined writer.  I know I  should get my "butt in chair," but most of the time I don't.  So back on January 5 when the New York Times came and I should have been writing (New Year's resolutions and all), I was not writing, but reading an article about how to keep your resolutions.  One particular phrase caught my attention,
     "To improve your chances of keeping New Year's resolutions, we offer four tips inspired by recent
        research on behavioral economics and health."
Further, the article was written by a doctor and a professor. They had to know what they were talking about, right?  Here's what they had to say:

"First, make a concrete plan.  When you do so, you both embed your intentions firmly in memory and make it harder to to postpone good behavior, since doing so requires breaking and explicit commitment to yourself."  So scientifically speaking you write on your calendar or in your date book or on any electronic devices that each morning you will set the alarm at 5? 6? 7? and write for an hour, or that you will write for two hours every Saturday and Sunday morning starting at 9.  Make it a real event.

"Second, put something you value on the line." If you don't keep to your new writing schedule, put a dollar in a penalty jar, or cancel your plan to go to the movies, or don't eat that brownie.  Or make plans to write with a friend because you are much less likely to cancel on a friend than on yourself.

"Third, bundle your temptations."  This is a bit harder to understand, but goes something like this: You want to write regularly but struggle to set up a time.  You also love having a decadent coffee house drink but know you shouldn't waste the money.  The solution is to go to Starbucks and write for an hour, while enjoying your Fudgie Wudgie Cocoa Creme Brulee Peppermint Grande.

"Fourth, seek social support.  You can achieve more by pursuing goals with the help of a mentor."
If you are not already a member of a writing critique group, join one as soon as possible.  There are plenty of ways to join online if you live in an area without a group that meets regularly.  Check out the SCBWI website or contact your local library for help.  One summer several years ago I joined a group in the area where I was vacationing by simply using the SCBWI contact information I found online.  I am still on their email list and as a result have learned of a few picture book submission opportunities I would not normally have been aware of.

So if you are still procrastinating, get moving!  It's already January 20 - what are you waiting for?

Submitted by Andrea Perry

Excerpted from How to Keep Your Resolutions by Katherine L. Milkman and Kevin G. Volpp, New York Times Sunday Review, January 5, 2014

An Update on Self-Imposed Goals:

by

Dave Amaditz

I woke up today and looked at the calendar and realized that over half of June is already gone, which means that we’re nearly halfway through with calendar year 2012. Wow! I can't believe it. My parents, and everyone else who imparted words of wisdom upon me, were right when they said time flies. On a personal note, I find that the older I get the faster it seems to go.

Since were nearly at the halfway point of the year, I thought it would be the perfect time to give an update on a post I wrote earlier this year:

Resolutions. Goals. Quotas. Are they needed? Original post date, Friday, January 20, 2012.

In the post I made it clear I was not one to make a New Year's resolution, however, I also stated I established goals for my writing, one of which was to write for four or more hours a day, every day, and to complete at least one polished chapter, somewhere between 7 to 12 pages a week.

Back in January when I wrote the post I had just completed chapter 6 of the novel I am rewriting. Today, at the time of this post, I've just begun chapter 29. Some quick calculations tell me that exactly 22 weeks have passed and that I have written, believe it or not, exactly 22 chapters. Wow! (See more detailed boring math calculations below.) I'm really quite surprised at the accomplishment, and satisfied as well, since I hadn't even thought of calculating it, or keeping tabs on the goal until I decided to write this post.

Not bad, huh?

Has anyone else kept track of their self-imposed goals? How about a New Year's resolution you may have made?

By the way, I now have a new goal, which is to maintain the pace of writing which allowed me to meet my original goal.

(I've written 173 pages in 154 days. That's 7.86 pages per chapter and 1.12 pages per day... Don't worry I used a calculator for the exciting math.)

Resolutions. Goals. Quotas. Are they needed?

by

Dave Amaditz


With the new year recently upon us I got to wondering about resolutions and goals and quotas.

Personally, I'm not one to make a New Year's resolution. It's my belief that if I feel so strong a resolve to do something, then I should be doing it. Like right now. Immediately. No need to wait for a new year.

Setting goals, or establishing quotas for my writing is one of those things. And so I don't get depressed or feel like a failure if I don't meet my goals, like so many feel when they make a New Year's resolution and don't live up to the task, I set my goals almost unattainably high.

You might say that's crazy, that setting so lofty a goal will automatically lead to failure and depression. But to me, it's a matter of perspective...

Let me show you what I mean.

My goal is to write for four or more hours a day, every day, and to complete at least one polished chapter, somewhere between seven to twelve pages a week. With everything else going on in my life I'm seldom able to consistently meet those goals. This does not mean I do not write daily and produce polished material. In fact, since the middle of December, Christmas holidays and all, I've written six semi-polished chapters of the novel I'm rewriting.

I'm happy with what I've accomplished, even though I have not quite met my goals. This contentment comes about because when I established my goals I made sure to plant a seed in the back of my mind telling me my goal was more than likely unattainable. Doing this allows me to gracefully accept defeat when I do not reach the quotas I've established.

On the other hand, when I'm able to meet or exceed my established goals and quotas, I get a sense of accomplishment unlike any I’ve felt when I've established lesser goals or no goals at all.

Crazy? Maybe so. But the system seems to work for me.

If your system isn't working. Try something else. Change your perspective... Until you find what works for you.

One final note. I believe that if we do not push ourselves, or are not pushed by others to reach beyond what we think we can accomplish, the end result is simple.

We will achieve less than what we are capable of achieving.

I'm not ready to settle for that. Are you?

New Year's Writing Resolutions

Home office



2011 Resolutions:

1. Keeping my office space clean
2. Writing every day
3. Meeting deadlines



Keeping my office space clean:



Do you find that when your office space and home are clean and organized, you feel better? I know I do. But it’s so difficult to keep it that way. I worked really hard the last few weeks to clean up my office spaces. Yes, I work in many spaces. I have my home office, although I often work at the table by the fire in the winter, my office at work, where I help run the day to day operations in my family’s plumbing business and often at Panera. Out of the three, I like Panera the best because I’m more focused when I physically leave my house. Plus, I don’t have to clean my booth or do the dishes at Panera.

Work Office

Writing every day:



I want to make a better effort to write every day at the same time. Ideally, I like to get up no later than 6:00 a.m. and have two solid hours of writing before my kids get up. Often times though, as soon as the coffee is made, my four-year old is bounding down the steps ready to start his day. I have to make a better effort to have Playdoh or crafts or something else ready for him to play, otherwise, the writing gets put aside. On the days my younger son has preschool, I go to Panera and work for two hours, then drive into my work office. I commute a half and hour to and from work every day. During that time, I try to plot out scenes and work out problems I’m having with a particular scene or a character. When I park, I jot down a few notes in my writing notebook that I always keep in my book bag. I keep a binder at my desk with my current draft and all of my notes. I like Jenny’s “Magic” board and may try to create something similar to help me keep focused.



Draft binder

Meeting deadlines:

Typically, I try to write or revise one scene per week. I am in the process now of revising a young adult novel, and I’m going to try to push myself to revise two completed scenes per week. If I can follow that revision schedule, I should be able to complete this revision by June. I have set up my outlook calendar with my weekly goals so I have a constant reminder to stay on track. It’s so easy to get stuck on a problem chapter, but if I have I constant nagging electronic reminder, it will help me complete the project on time. 



The three goals sound simple enough on paper, but I have to stick to them to make it work. And as I’m trying to de-clutter my spaces, my next project should really be the closet that houses all of my old manuscripts. Do I really need all the drafts of a manuscript I wrote ten years ago? Maybe.





Old manuscript cupboard