... or New Years, if you prefer.
Once again, many of us will think of of resolutions, statements of intent, suggestions, vague possibilities - whatever we choose to call them.
Perhaps your process is to just take last year's to-do list, still full of tasks, relabel it 2013, and put it away again. Perhaps you start afresh with all the things you've always wanted to do in life. Perhaps you have only a few minor areas to focus on.
My suggestion would be to think small, do that Bill Murray tiny steps thing. Later on, when that task is done, or maybe when it's put aside - nothing wrong with recognizing a change in priorities - go ahead and pick something else.
I used a site last year for writers, called A Round of Words in 80 Days. The blog for the site describes it as 'the writing challenge that knows you have a life'. You decide on some SMART objectives, mostly related to writerly things, publish them on your blog, and report back on there and to the site twice a week - for 80 days. The cycle repeats, four times a year, with about a 10 day rest in between.
There is a strong community of writers via the site, as well as many on their Facebook site, a community always willing to praise and nudge as you work on developing new habits.
Seems a good way to effect change: pick some SMART objectives, commit to them publicly, gather a support group, repeat until a new habit.
As for my own resolutions - health has bumped up the priority list a bit. After putting out my back December 16, and spending days in bed, on painkillers, I eventually dragged myself out and started (or re-started) some back exercises. They are ones I got a few years ago last time this happened, ones I did a while, then stopped. Also added into my mornings some yoga routines, just to limber up. Plan is to exercise, write, take a break, then work on editing and publishing what I've done so far. Then - rest of the day for whatever.
BTW - photo is view from my kitchen window, nice place to sit and write. Or just stare out and think - that's allowed too.
