TALKIN' 'BOUT MY RESOLUTIONS...

See how determined I look?

I’m a New Year’s Resolution maker. I’ll admit it. And I stick with about 25% of them. Not a great number but that’s okay – I did manage to join a gym and lose 30 lbs this past year – so that’s something.

But this year I’m doing it differently. Instead of self-improvement resolutions (yup – gonna be the same old jerk I was last year) I’m making career resolutions. 2014 will be the year I work my butt off to get more stuff out.

That also means 2014 will be the year I don’t leave the house much or have a life – but that’s the way the Times Square crystal ball bounces.

Why the narrow focus?  A couple of reasons. First of all – my kids are teenagers now. They don’t need (or necessarily want) me to spend every moment with them. They no longer need me to make them snacks, play Clue or supervise every question in their homework. They’d rather immerse themselves in their sports and music activities, go to the movies with friends or spend hours doing whatever it is they do in their rooms. I get that. I think kids need alone time. And now, for once, in 15 years – I’ll get some.

Secondly – I’m in a good place with my writing. I produced 2 novellas and a short story since July. My mojo’s back and I know what I can do now – which is a LOT more. I have a new genre to work on for one publisher and a new series idea for another. And these are small, boutique publishers with better contracts than I got from New York and they handle the covers, editing, formatting and marketing so I don’t have to. I spent a great deal of time on that in the last few years. I’m happy to give that up.

And last but not least – I’m into writing again. I’ve got a timeline for the novels I want to write this year and I’m confident (for once) that I can achieve it. And I have new office supplies. Nothing makes my heart beat faster than shiny new office supplies!

So we shall see where this year takes me. I’m hoping to fatten up my bookshelf and lose myself in new things.

Oh, and I’ll keep working on the weight thing. Still have about 10 more lbs. to lose. I do have to have my priorities, after all.