2013 RESOLUTIONS

Today marked the start of winter session and I couldn't have been happier than I was when I walked out my door and saw the sun shining bright on me on the way to the bus stop. I don't care if it sounds nerdy, but I really couldn't wait to get to my class and start diving into the new material. I'm taking a a geography class to make up the one I bombed last spring. Originally, I wasn't so sure how to feel how about it, but after the first class today, I feel confident and comfortable enough with the professor's teaching style and the context of the course that I'm positive I'll get the grade I want. Even though I'm not that into natural sciences, I like the fact it's a challenge. I feel like I stayed in the safe zone last year and sort of let my laziness become a hindrance to my overall learning. I'm ready to change this and become a productive college student from now on. It's never too late to  leave the life of procrastination! (Or at least try to, right?) Speaking of change and productivity, I found an incredibly helpful new years resolution guide on LitReactor to establish some solid and concrete resolutions and goals to improve my writing and overall confidence.

My Resolutions:

"Make your goals as specific as possible. Vague “I’ll write more” kind of resolutions are way too easy to fudge...Consistency is the magic behind establishing new habits. "

    [1.] I will write for 30 minutes or 500 words a day.

"Here’s the thing about developing a habit: While you’re trying to cement it into your life, there’s no room for flexibility or for giving yourself a break just this once.Create a trigger to remind yourself that it’s time to put pen to paper: set an alarm, train your dog to attack your crotch, put the coffee pot on a timer, whatever it takes."

 [2.] I will start writing at 9 o'clock every day.

"Good writers are avid readers. There’s an undeniable correlation. Like most of these resolutions, you need to ask yourself why it’s not something you’re currently doing. Most likely, the answer is that you don’t have time...Don’t think of it as adding a new habit. Think of it as replacing an old one. You’ll need to spend less time doing something else in order to spend more time reading (or writing). What’s that something going to be?"

 [3.] I will read 1 book a week; avoid tumblr and Facebook at all costs.

" If your priority is writing, make a conscious decision to truly make it a priority in January. Look at your current commitments. Figure out what you can cut out to make more time in the day, and learn to say no when you need to. Nobody’s gonna hate you for working hard to achieve your dreams, and if they do, they sort of suck anyway."

[4.] I will minimize other commitments in order to focus on writing.

"An ergonomic desk is a productive desk."

[5.] I will improve my writing space by having a clear desk with no distractions when it's time to write.

"The more inconvenient it is to get to the wonders of the web, the better off you’ll be. Set a timer to keep yourself in check when you’re on Facebook. Again, it’s only four weeks."

[6.] I will limit my use of social media/non-essential internet to two hours a day.

"Submitting your work to the LitReactor workshop or to a local writers group that you meet with in person will provide you with a reality check. It can be unnerving—nay, terrifying—to show your work to others for the first time; just remember to aim for progress, not perfection."

[7.] I will submit 3 stories to a workshop.

"Resolutions work best when they are tied to consequences. If you’ve been shying away from reading your work in public, decide on a reward if you follow through and punishment if you don’t. Commit to them. "

[8.] I will do a public reading (somehow).

"Identify your weakness then spend the month overcoming it. Chart your progress in some visual way—a gold star on the calendar for every day you catch and avoid a particular error, a line chart of the number of misspelled words per thousand words, one of those color-in thermometer drawings sales people use that denotes the number of words you’ve added to your vocabulary this month. Any kind of visual representation of progress will remind you to keep going."

[9.] I will fix a weakness in my writing.

"You don’t have to go hardcore Crossfit here, but adding a bit of movement to your day will clear your head and open you up to new ideas, improve your mood, and generally make you a more productive writer. Tell a few key people what you’re up to and how you’re progressing so that they can support you when you’re doing well and shame you into getting back on the wagon when you fall off."

[10.] I will exercise more.

[11.] :)

I have a lot of work to do, but it feels refreshing to have solid goals I can accomplish.
Happy 2013~*~*~*~