Looking Forward, Not Back

Last year I posted a list of New Year’s goals on Twitter and thought it might be nice to review them and see how I did.

Dump the painfully shy persona inside you.
Ditch the doormat. Learn to say no.
Believe in yourself.
Prepare a weekly schedule and stick to it.
Live in the moment. Don’t let past or future muck things up.
Learn something new every day even if you’re not going to use it.
Let go of negative distractions.
Get up, stretch, walk around workspace once an hour.
Deep breath, fingers on keyboard, let imagination fly.
Good days, bad days, don’t ever give up.

These were spontaneous and actually pretty sound. Unfortunately, I only followed a few, but even one or two can make a positive change in your life.

I can honestly say I am no longer painfully shy, although it took a lot of work to overcome. Likewise, I am no longer a doormat, although it is still hard to say no when I want to say no. Believing in myself is coming along. I’m late to be starting a new career, but we all need a good challenge. I’ve seen progress and that’s what keeps me going.

I’ve always been good at sticking to a schedule, but those darn distractions—negative and positive—do get in the way.

I like to learn new things, but don’t have the opportunity to do so every day. So I guess a modified goal would be to not pass up an opportunity when it presents itself. My biggest learning experience this year has been related to the internet. I’ve learned lots of new things about Facebook and Twitter posting ad I have more to learn.

Letting go of negative distractions…any distractions…is hard. It’s a mindset and requires perseverance. But it can be done although it sometimes requires drastic action…like taking a long trip in a boat.

The last three were for writers, but apply to anyone who works at a desk. Get up and move. It’s bad for you to sit for too long. Let your imagination loose. You can always go back and make modifications. And finally, never give up. Writers are easily depressed by a bad review, or no review, or stagnant sales. Stay focused. Keep writing. It will happen.

There…I’ve reviewed and I think I’ll keep all these little guys for next year. What about you? Anything to add?