2012 and you

Whether you call them resolutions or goals doesn't matter. It is still what you want to accomplish in the new year. At the end of 2012, assuming the Mayans were wrong and we are still here, what do you want to have achieved?

I started out with a goal of wanting four books published in 2012. One (fingers crossed) to The Wild Rose Press, two more self-published to finish the trilogy of Second Chances, and my zombie romance. But when I looked at the calendar I realized with how much I have finished on each of those stories I was probably only looking at April or May.

Last time I looked, a year had more months then that. LOL So I reset my goals to six books in 2012. For me, that is an ambitious task, but I'm determined that 2012 is the year I take writing seriously and devote hours a day, each day, to the job.

I have other goals, not writing-related that I want to see through in the new year. I want to read more and different genres and to leave reviews for every book I read.

I want to exercise more and get healthy to see many more books published by myself and my friends. I want to eat better and make my husband eat better too. (this may be impossible goal. LOL)

I want to write more letters and send them to our military family members. Mail from home is a gift they love.

I want to be stronger in my convictions and state what I feel without second and third guessing myself with if it is too opinionated.

At the end of 2012, what do you want to look back on and see as your accomplishments?

Jill James
Tempting Adam, now available
Divorce, Interrupted, now available
Someone To Trust, available soon

Looking Forward - Looking Back

December 1st. The time of year to wonder how the year flew by so swiftly, to get ready for the mad dash of the holidays, and to make resolutions for the new year.

I have a friend who is not much for New Year's Resolutions and I'm tending to agree as I notice I start with such great intentions, and then about February 1st they fall by the wayside.

It is much more fun to look back over the year and take stock of the great events, family additions, and accomplishments of the year. What happened to you and your family this year? Even tragedy has a way of bringing families together. Did you add babies or sons or daughters-in-law to your family dynamics? What goals did you set for yourself this year? Did you meet them, or just come close? Did you do Nanowrimo? Did you win? Did you say your would finish a manuscript this year? Or send to XX amount of agents and editors? Or go to one or two conferences? Or maybe, try to shed your shy writer persona?

I decided this would be the year to put myself out there. I would send out queries. I would accept invitations to group blogs, to guest blog, to help out on blogs. I would get my name out there. Maybe it is just coincidence or maybe karma, but this is the year I became a published writer. And that wasn't even the goal for the year. LOL

Take a moment, look back over the year before you march forward into the next.

Jill James
www.jilljameswrites.com