Goals

The online version of our local newspaper runs polls each week. The poll last week asked if readers had made New Year's Resolutions or not. Of 1398 respondents, 75% did not make any resolutions. Isn't that interesting? I'd deduce from those responses that the community isn't very goal-oriented.

Perhaps, the idea of making New Year's Resolutions is a bit outdated or old- fashioned. Yet, I believe it was Spencer W. Kimball who said something to the effect that a goal not written down is merely a wish. I've found that to be true. I'm a list person. If I don't write something on my daily list, it doesn't usually get done. Sometimes, when life is hectic, I don't write my list and depend on myself to just remember all the things I need to do. Well, all that happens is that I accomplish very few things. I've found that if I don't write down the calls I need to make, the bills I need to pay, and the household tasks that must be completed, not only do things fall by the wayside, I feel as though I haven't accomlpished much, even if I've been busy all day long. When I have my list and check things off as I go, I feel much more productive.

I also list goals each year. I have physical and spiritual goals that I won't mention in this blog, but I'd like to list my writing goals.

1. Write every day M-F.
2. Submit a new novel.
3. Write 6 nonfiction articles for children's magazines and submit them. (I'd love
to break into Highlights this year).
4. Attend a conference (I plan to attend the Storymakers conference in March).
5. Continue to improve my skills by completing my ICL course and participating
in an English refresher.
6. Promote my novel, Heaven Scent, (which will go to press next week--
yipee) as much as I can.
7. Read one novel/month in the LDS market.

There it is for the world to see. I think it's important to not only set goals, but then evaluate those goals to see what you did/did not accomplish and to help set more realistic goals in the future.

As we set goals, I think it's important to give ourselves room to change or adapt those goals and to feel good about any of the goals we reach. Sometimes, goals take longer than we expect or life gets in the way and that's okay. As long as we have goals set, I think we're on the right track.

Here's hoping everyone will not only record their goals but accomplish them in 2008.