“Most people overestimate what they can do in one year, and underestimate what they can do in ten years.” Bill Gates
I love this quiet time between Christmas and New Year. All that pressure to do strange things is over: writing to dozens of family members and old friends, making food we wouldn’t normally eat, sneaking behind the pub to cut some perfect ivy. The new year hasn’t quite started and any emails I send bounce back with a message: “out of office until 3 January.”
For many years I have used this time to look back over the previous year and set goals for the next one. I go through my diary and summarize my year under the headings:
- What went well?
- People and friendships
- High Days and Holidays
- What was hard?
- Gratitude
- This I have learned this year
I list clients I have worked with, my health stats, and my favorite books, music, films and TV.
Then I think about the coming year. I write down my intentions, things I visualize happening. I am specific about the dream, but not the exact way things will come about. I know I sound like one of those hokey self-help books, but I have found there is a miraculous magic in writing these things down.
A year ago I was a little sad that it looked like my books might never reach readers. I had received lots of encouraging feedback, but UK publishers were nervous of the US settings. My agent believed in the books and kept saying “it’s just a matter of finding the right editor.” Last new year I wrote “Somehow my US 19th century novels find a publisher, are launched to the world.” Editor Vicky Blunden entered my life in March 2023 and Storm Publishing has a business model that embraces the US market.
After the intentions, I write specific goals. These are things I can take action on and are listed under headings:
- Writing
- Family
- Home
- Friends
- Health
- Consultancy
- Faith
- Other goals
So, under Writing, last year a goal was “Write at least 5 days/week: drafting, editing, research, polishing.”
These goals can be termed New Year Resolutions and I know many people doubt their value. What’s the point? You will have failed most of them by the end of January.
But of course we’ll have failed most of them! We’re human and fallible. And if they were easy, we’d already be doing them (although, I often write “continue to…” for the habits I’ve already nailed). I have a diary marker on the 1st day of every month and do a check-in. I look at the goals to tackle this month; I note what I have achieved in the previous month.
It all sounds rather elaborate, doesn’t it? But the process steers my course and brings me a sense of peace.
Of course some years I have not done it. I did no review of 2018 because the death of my older daughter made everything else meaningless in comparison. I felt there was no point writing down goals for 2019 because none of us knows what is round the corner. If things are tough for you at the moment, please give yourself as much time and space as you need. I can testify to the truth of the words of Maya Angelou “I’ve learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.
If you are a reviewer and a planner, I’d love to hear how you go about it!
