A Lack of Resolution

Last year was a big one for me in many ways.  It was my best year as an author, with several books hitting bestseller status on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords.  I even scored top ten status.  Pretty amazing stuff. 

I also had set myself some New Year’s resolutions for 2013, all of which I managed to meet.  I damned near destroyed myself doing it too.  I started a new book every month ... the initial goal was just to get these novels rolling, not finish them.  Yet being the OCD animal that I am, I wasn’t content to simply do character sketches and outline new projects.  Darn if I didn’t try to work on so many simultaneous projects that I nearly blew every synapse in my brain.  Big mistake.  I was writing ten projects at once by the end of summer, because I went into my challenge with a few other books already cooking.  I had to give my compulsive nature tough love and demand it back off before I stopped writing entirely...as an all-or-nothing personality, that’s what would have happened.   

I dropped back until I was only writing four projects at a time.  That’s not as extreme as it might sound to some of you.  Usually each of my pen names has one book in outline status, one in first draft, one in second draft (first edit run), and one in final edits.  Only the first draft is a major workload issue taking up most of my time.  Tamara and Alt-Tam have different writing days, so I’m never doubling up.  It sounds like a crazy system, but it works for me. 

You can imagine I have no intention of going back to starting a new book every month in 2014.  I have no writing resolutions except to carry on in my ‘normal’ way of doing things.  It’s business as usual this year. 

My other 2013 resolution was to run 5K, via the Couch to 5K program.  There were so many stops and delays in achieving this goal.  My decrepit joints, particularly the left knee, would get me within a week or two of accomplishing this feat before blowing out.  I found myself sidelined for two months at a time as I healed.  I nearly despaired of ever reaching 5K.  Yet in late October, I finally made it and shed nearly 50 pounds in the process.  I’m still running when this poor body allows me to.  I, the Grand Lady of Lounging, now love to jog.   

I'm setting no exercise resolutions this year, however.  Last year’s had me pushing the running when I knew better (there’s that OCD again).  I am working on improving my fitness through toning and strength training now, along with running and/or walking 5 miles a day.  I’m taking my accomplishments to the next level, but I’m not setting a deadline for anything specific.  I just want to look hawt and be healthy.  That’s a lifelong commitment, not something that can be arrived at in a set amount of time. 

So I'm making no resolutions for the next 12 months.  I have goals and objectives and some good sense (I hope) to accomplish them in a logical manner.  If I resolve to do anything, it’s to not drive myself crazy again.