A Time for Resolutions

It’s the 31st December 2013 and I thought I might talk about resolutions. More importantly, my own resolutions for the new year.  
We all talk about them, some of us make them, some of us even follow through on them.  For the most part, I am a resolution breaker, but this year, I have a few I’d like to manage.  Just don’t hold your breath.

• Procrastinate Less:  This is a biggie for me, as I could probably take out Gold, Silver and Bronze in the Procrastination Olympics.  I’m a professional procrastinator and it’s not a good thing.  Procrastination leads to doubt, doubt leads to not writing and not writing leads to a feeling of failure and ‘I’m not good enough’.  So my first and biggest resolution is to procrastinate less and write much more.  I read somewhere that it doesn’t matter if what you write is crap – just keep writing.  Every word you write leads to improvement and that’s my goal for the year.
• Give Up Smoking:  I use smoking as a crutch, it’s true.  Stressed?  Have a cuppa and a smoke.  Bored?  Have a cuppa and a smoke.  Writers Block?  Have a cuppa and a smoke.  Angry?  …. Well, you get the drift. (In actual fact, maybe I should try and give up the addiction to tea, too!) I have given up smoking before, in fact, I’ve given up for as long as a couple of years.  But I always manage to take it back up again.  But this year, I’m quietly confident (and being nagged perpetually by my friend who also happens to be my G.P.) that I’ll get there.
• Believe in Myself:  I’m a disbeliever, it’s true.  Three published books and I still think I suck.  But THIS YEAR, I’m going to take a more positive outlook towards this business of being an Author.  People seem to like what I write, so I’m going to try a little harder to believe that I can do this, and spend less time considering what I’m doing wrong.
• Spend More Time Blogging: One area which I’m an abject failure in doing, as can be seen by the huge blocks of time in which there are no blog posts.  I’ve mentioned before that I don’t always have any idea of what to write, but I promise, 2014 will include a bit more effort in finding something to write.  And I’ll try not to be boring!
• Go Out More:  I’m a self-confessed introvert.  Nothing I like better than being at home, in my nice safe little house, with my family close by.  The thought of going out, socializing and dealing with the world is not something which is close to my heart.  But new experiences make a better writer, so this year, I’m going to give it a shot.  I will force myself to go out and visit the world, see what it’s like.  But I definitely won’t be adding the beach to my list of places to visit – the phobia about sharks is still alive and well!