Making a Resolution

“New Year, New Feels, New Chances, Same Dreams, Fresh Starts.” - Atticus Poetry

I'm keeping my New Year's Resolution simple this year. For 2025, my goal is to be more organised. That's it. It's that basic. Usually, I'm a romance writer who lives in chaos, but I know my way through it. I built a path through my mess. Let's see what happens when I change my ways and apply order to all aspects of my life. 

What I Hope...

Home, work, writing, and health. They're all areas of life where I fly by the seat of my pants. If I take it methodically, one area at a time, let's hope that streamlines things for me and makes my goals attainable.

What I'm hoping for is a domino effect: that as I get one part in order, it will impact another aspect until, bit by bit, I become an organised person. And if I put it into practice, it will become a habit. I already love a to-do list, right up until I have to do the stuff. 

Motivation

This is going to take a little research. Organisation doesn't come naturally to me. I'm a messy person and I always have been. In childhood, I was constantly grounded for having a messy room. I have paperwork everywhere. Notebooks written in and then scribbled out and written in again - most of them half-full or less. I pile up clothes in giant heaps and I rarely plan. At least not successfully. 

It sounds like it will be simple to change, but if that was the case I would have done it years ago. I'm planning to plan. That's what I figure will give me the best shot.

Back to School

Remember back at school when you had timetables for every lesson, you covered your books in brown paper that you would then graffiti. With school, there was scheduling and homework books. There was a set break time and lunchtime. There was a system. I miss that structure of my day-to-day life. 

Now I work in a job with shift patterns so I can work any hour of the day. I have a child so I eat when I have a minute to spare, sometimes not at all. I decide what I'm making when it's time to make it. Remember school dinners. We had chocolate custard, hard pizza and a dinner lady who walked around making sure we ate either potatoes or salad. (You know the chaos is bad when you hanker back to the days of school dinners.) 

I hated school. I was bullied, I was kinda lazy and I hated homework, but now I want to learn. It's the routine and order of it that I really miss. That and the lack of responsibility. I just had to get myself to lessons, and that was that. 

Where to Start?

I have no idea! As I already said, this is going to take research. And I have to fit it all around the day job and the romance writing. Hopefully, in the end, it will make things faster and more efficient for me. Fingers crossed. 

I think my first step is to identify the area where my life needs order the most and start there. I'm gonna be making some lists. Time to get out my half-scribbled notebooks. 

Let's Get Started

I could wait until January 1st to start, but I'm going to cheat and give myself a few extra days. I can at least start the planning process of this New Year's Resolution. I can pick which area needs the most change and figure out how to put it into effect. 

So, let's get going. Mission organisation: Inititaed.

If you enjoyed reading this then you can follow my journey by visiting the Resolutions page of my website. 

Sticking to Resolutions

 We're leaving December 2022...

January 1st is the start of a new adventure, or at least that's what they say. As an introverted romance author who is happiest at home, my adventures will probably happen on the page and in the paranormal romance stories I write. 

I do like to set some New Year Resolutions. 

The flaw with resolutions is that they're tough to stick to long-term. In fact, only 40% manage to maintain their resolutions beyond 6 months.

My New Year's Resolutions tend to be focussed on being less lazy, writing more, and working harder, but I like a refresh, and day one of a new year is a good time to start. The question is, what's the best way to maintain your willpower?

Choose the Best Goals

The place a lot of people go wrong is setting a lot of different goals. Taking on too much can be overwhelming, which means the easiest way is to form new habits. Be specific with what you want and plan the steps to achieve it. 

This leads to the next step...

Plan Plan Plan

Write down your goal and brainstorm how to achieve it. Make lists, prepare for obstacles that might block your path, plan ahead. Know what you want. 

Start Small

Don't jump in at the deep end. That's what your steps are for. You build to the end achievement. You might feel like it's going slowly, but that's what progress is. You're not planning on being an overnight success. You'll have to put the work in. 

Deadlines 

Deadlines can help, but they come with their own downfalls. If you're going to be disheartened when you miss one then they might not be worth it. Give yourself a contingency plan and figure out how you'll proceed even when you feel it's not going as quickly as you want. 

Keep it Fresh

Don't keep trying to achieve the same goal. You're already starting for a low point if it's something you've failed at. Make enough changes to the New Year Resolution that it truly is a fresh start. 

Be Patient

This a process and that means it won't be an instant success. There will be setbacks and missteps. It might not happen as quickly as you want, but keep your spirit, keep planning, prepare for anything, and try your best. 

On Your Way...

Now you have the basic tools to get going. All you need is to figure out what your New Year's Resolution is going to be. I'm making it easy on myself. My first one is to publish my book, which is almost ready to go. 

Keep an eye out for book extras and updates, and if you like what you read here, take a look around and read some of my other articles.  

 

 

End of Year

 New Year... Same old me...

We're advancing toward the end of another year, and I always like the start of the next. 

I have no plans to make any illogical resolutions to change myself, because I don't think I've ever kept one, but, maybe I'll resolve to read more books. That seems attainable. 

As far as life changes go, though, I feel like I'm on a pretty good track. I could eat healthier, I could exercise more, but that's true of every month of the year. 

What I do like about the New Year though, is that it's like a reset. A refresh. 

All the things that I've been working on, that I might be wobbling on, that might not be going as well as I want them to... It's not a resolution to continue trying, but it's a new start in a way. Rejuvenation. 

I like the refresh of January first. I like the new year. 

New Year Back Again

It doesn’t seem like two minutes since the last New Year’s Eve, but here we again. Waiting on midnight again.

The difference is, this time we’re not just saying goodbye to an old year, but to an old decade. See ya later, 2019. Hello, 2020!

And along with a new year, also comes New Year’s resolutions. I’m feeling really optimistic about mine.

• Write as much as I’m able to.
• Read as many books as I want.
• Write more reviews for the books I read.
• Buy more from indie authors.

Next year will see the release of the second book in The Shadow Coven series: Martha’s story, and the first book of my new shifter series. And that’s just for a start.

For now though, I’ll be seeing in the new year with a glass of prosecco and some party nibbles. 

Happy New Year to you all, and wishing you a wonderful 2020!