stacy benedict

Did you achieve the New Year’s resolutions you made back on January 1, 2016?  Yeah, me either. I still haven’t lost those pesky ten pounds, joined a gym or become a stripper with a heart of gold. About forty-one percent of Americans will make resolutions this year. According to StatisticBrain.com’s research, a paltry nine percent will successfully achieve their vows. If only saying was the equivalent of doing. If only willpower and self-control could fly to your doorstep on a breeze like Mary Poppins.

Great minds on the Internet proposed these four tips to help wayward resolution makers keep their New Year’s pledges:

• Be honest with yourself and create realistic goals that are measurable.  If you’re not passionate about your resolutions, then nothing will get you to the finish line.
• Create an action plan with specific steps that you can take every day, month or quarter.
• Be patient when you make a mistake, need a break, feel overwhelmed or didn’t do something.  What’s most important is recommitting to your goal, moving on and trying again.
• It’s not all or nothing.  Even if you partially achieved a goal or accomplished half the things on your list, that is still a win.

Instead of resolutions this year, I’ve decided to create a list of annual writing goals. At the risk of public humiliation, and because sharing is caring, here are my 2017 goals that by the grace of Gaia and the power of Thor’s abs I will complete by 12/31/17:

• Write every day, even if it’s just five words
• Read more novels
• Finish editing and publish the first two novels in my urban fantasy series, Hound Dog Confidential and Through the Villain’s Eyes
• Write at least six short stories and six flash fiction stories
• Finish the outline and first draft of the third novel in the series
• Have third novel edited in preparation for 2018 publication
• Commission artwork for third novel’s book cover
• Hire someone to design the third novel’s book cover
• Update my websites, social media, and create Amazon and Goodreads author pages

What are your goals for 2017? Or, are you a smarty-pants who doesn’t make New Year’s resolutions?

Hope you liked this week’s blog post.  You can read the first chapters of my urban fantasy series The Children of Ekhidna and Typhoeus on the books page.

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