Historically I am not one to set goals or make resolutions. I think that reluctance stems from the recognition that we mostly fall short and then have to deal with the failure. The other day I was watching, of all things, House Hunters and this guy in the couple made a point of needing to be able to post his annual goals on his bathroom mirror. This was something his wife didn’t especially want to see every day, so they wanted their new home to have separate vanities in the bathroom. I thought the guy was way over the top, but it got me thinking. While goal setting presents risks, it offers real opportunities: to prioritize how I use my time, to remind myself of what is important to me, to feel accomplished when something is achieved. Of course, I don’t need to share them publicly since that adds pressure, but what the heck. What is my blog for if not to take some risks, so here goes:
Read Moby Dick.
[No other story is referenced as often in other books.
It appears on lists of the best American novel.
And yet, somehow, I never read it.
I think it is time.]
Write everyday – or realistically almost every day.
[I only posted 29 essays on my blog in 2023.
My goal has been weekly.
Perhaps it is time to reconsider my goal.
Okay, my goal for 2024 is to reassess how often I want to add to my blog.]
Send out 10 query letters to literary agents.
[probably more]
Accept rejection and continue onward.
Stop wanting more!
[I have enough.
Be more Zen,
Let go of expectations.
Exhale the want.
Inhale the beauty,
Appreciate the gifts,
Even on cold, damp, gray days.
Hear the music: bird calls, the wind in the trees, voices harmonizing.
See the splendor: light, color, richness rendered on a Sargent canvas.
Receive what is given,
Feel the love expressed in a glance, in a gesture.
Let it fill me.
Trust the love.
Trust the relationships.
The child in me still wants…]
Plan a trip.
Sort through the clutter.
[Simplify]
Gary, my husband, upon reading the above, said, “Good luck with that. I thought reading Moby Dick was enough.” Maybe it is ambitious, but I’m going to try. Let’s check back in a few months, meanwhile, Happy New Year! Wishing you all a peaceful, joyful, and healthy year ahead whether or not you set goals or make resolutions.
Stories I Tell Myself 