New Year’s Re-SLOW-lution

2011 is here, and I have to say, “Okay, now what?” I’m sure everyone has a mental checklist they want to do before the year is out: Lose weight, quit smoking, get out of debt, check into rehab, whatever. But people tend to aim too high and punish themselves when they don’t meet their goal. I’ve done it, and it sucks. So, I’ve decided not to focus on my 2011 to-do list and focus on my January 4th to-do list, which is a whole lot smaller. First, I’m gonna finish this post. Next, I’m going to the gym and burn off this extra ass cheek that grew over the holiday. Then I’m going to write five pages worth of SOMETHING. It could be another blog post, a new story idea, a letter to my ex to stop calling me at 2 AM while I’m writing. Who knows?


But I plan to aim small, break down my big project into little assignments I can do each day.

Do not, do not, DO NOT focus on the overall goal, it will only frustrate and overwhelm you. Baby steps. If you want to write a book, that’s great. A person can only read one page at a time, so why not write the same way. It’s good to have a plan, but in the early stages of writing, it’s not that big a deal. Channel your energy on the little things and it will build into something bigger. If you write three pages a day, every day, you will have a 300+ page book in 4 months. Imagine what you can do with the rest of the year.

If I had a wish for everyone this year, it is this: Live your life and achieve your goal stress free. This is your achievement and the show won’t start without you, so you can take your time. Hell, show up fashionably late if you want. There is no lesson or growth in the destination, so find joy in whatever it is you want to do and learn from the journey.

On your mark. Get set. GO!