{"id":4457,"date":"2017-01-16T09:44:48","date_gmt":"2017-01-16T09:44:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/focusme.com\/?p=4457"},"modified":"2025-02-13T12:14:04","modified_gmt":"2025-02-13T12:14:04","slug":"new-year-resolutions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/focusme.com\/blog\/new-year-resolutions\/","title":{"rendered":"Too Late To Make New Year Resolutions?"},"content":{"rendered":"

 <\/p>\n

So how are those New Year Resolutions going?<\/p>\n

I\u2019m not really a huge fan. You know how it goes: you start off so well, dead keen, then three days in and you\u2019ve missed a few\u2026 before you know it, you\u2019re writing the whole year off as a failure. But perhaps there are some resolutions you can make that won\u2019t leave you feeling bad about yourself:<\/p>\n

Call yourself a writer?<\/h2>\n

Yes, why not? Start calling yourself a writer instead of apologizing: \u2018I\u2019m trying to write a book, a poem, a short story\u2026\u2019 If you call yourself a writer, then you\u2019ll begin to believe it. \u2018I am a writer, and this year I\u2019m aiming for a greater social media presence through my blog and articles.\u2019<\/p>\n

Give yourself permission to be distracted<\/h2>\n

Instead of complaining you don\u2019t have time for writing, try reducing time spent on things that take you away from it. Is it watching TV? Be more selective about what you watch. Is it your Facebook or WhatsApp habit? FocusMe<\/a> allows you to limit your sessions to a couple of catch up\u2019s a day, rather than dropping in every few minutes. Don\u2019t go \u2018cold turkey\u2019. Instead, give yourself permission for these habits, just don\u2019t let them take control. And if you can\u2019t write, then read more. Reading is always good \u2013 it\u2019s all research.<\/p>\n

Be kind to yourself<\/h2>\n

Your \u2018self\u2019 needs nurturing. Take yourself off somewhere: go for a walk; go sit in a caf\u00e9, ride a bus, and listen to what\u2019s going on around you. Listen and observe – \u2018stop and smell the roses\u2019. How about taking Julia Cameron\u2019s advice in \u2018The Artists Way\u2019<\/a> and take yourself off (alone) on an artist\u2019s date: visit an art gallery; a museum; a NT property; a library\u2026
\nDon\u2019t beat yourself up if you have a bad day and not a word gets written. Start the next day afresh. And give yourself little rewards, i.e. if I write for an hour, I can have a cuppa and one of those chocolate biscuits still hanging around after Christmas\u2026<\/p>\n

Aim for rejection<\/h2>\n

A good writer friend shared this with me. Instead of aiming to get things published, then beating yourself up when you don\u2019t, aim for a certain number of rejections for the year. Aim for one rejection a month and submit that poem, article, short story anyway. We all learn from our mistakes and you will develop a thicker skin ready for those harsh reviews that will come once you do get published.<\/p>\n

Make targets not resolutions<\/h2>\n

Make a list of targets for the year. I love checklists. There is nothing quite as rewarding as ticking things off on a list. So, if like me you started 2017 with a cold rather than a list of resolutions, it\u2019s not too late. Start that list now. Set yourself SMART targets – simple, measureable, attainable, relevant, time focused, and enjoying checking them off.
\nArticle on New Year Resolutions? CHECK.<\/p>\n

Suzi Bamblett<\/p>\n

About the author<\/strong><\/p>\n

Suzi Bamblett is in the final stages of her MA in Creative Writing at Brighton University. Her\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>two YA fiction novels are soon to be published as e books: The Changeling and Pearl<\/span><\/span>\u00a0Seekers, and she\u00a0<\/span>is working on two further novels:\u00a0<\/span><\/span>The Travelling Philanthropist – a time slip novel, and\u00a0<\/span>Prescient Spirit – a gothic psychological thriller. Suzi writes short stories and poetry, and has published in Brighton University Anthologies – Small Worlds (2014) and Reflections (2015). Inspired by Suzi? – Find more on her blog broodleroo<\/a>\u00a0and also read this article<\/a> from Suzi.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  So how are those New Year Resolutions going? I\u2019m not really a huge fan. You know how it goes: you start off so well, dead keen, then three days in and you\u2019ve missed a few\u2026 before you know it, you\u2019re writing the whole year off as a failure. But perhaps there are some resolutions […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":4213,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22,19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4457","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-habits","category-writing"],"yoast_head":"\nNew Year Resolutions for Writers: Tips & Targets<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Start your year right with resolutions having achievable writing goals, from calling yourself a writer to aiming for rejections.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/focusme.com\/blog\/new-year-resolutions\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"New Year Resolutions for Writers: Tips 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