A New Way to Set New Year Goals

So, yesterday I checked our handy calendar for this week's topic, so I could begin thinking about it, and discover that it's "Top 3 Publishing Predictions for 2013." Then I clicked over to Twitter and - this was within seconds, people - saw one of my editors retweet another person who said "looking forward to 2013 mostly so I don't have to read any more highlights of 2012." She added "Also tired of Best Of lists & Predictions."

Eep.

Well, way to to suck away my already marginal enthusiasm for a topic.

I also saw a very interesting post the other day, that my lovely writer-friend Jeri Smith-Ready retweeted (see? there's a theme to my influences), by a YA writer, Nova Ren Suma. Suma wrote about failing her 2012 predictions. What I found most interesting about her post, was that she put her resolutions in sealed envelopes and did not reveal them until the end of the year - when she then discussed how she did.

I'm not usually much for resolutions. Mostly because I'm a believer in gradual, steady changes, rather than sweeping revolutions of long habit. I also think most resolutions aren't specific enough. For example "lose weight" or even "lose ten pounds" can mean anything in a year's time. Lose weight compared to what? What if I lose ten pounds, but gain thirty - does that count?

There's also the "be careful what you wish for" syndrome - watch those loopholes!

Finally, I do think resolutions require accountability, but if you tell the world, that lets all kinds of ickiness into it, like competition and pressure and other people making judgments.

So this sealed envelope style for annual goals feels enticing to me. It doesn't make for much of an interesting post today, but I'm posting a photograph of my three sealed goals for 2013. At the end of the year, I'll post them and review how it went.

And yes, I'm totally consulting my spreadsheets to do this. So there.

There they are! I did three categories: weight/health, writing and financial. Tune in this time next year for the seal-breaking and evaluation!

Oh, and I totally think ebooks will continue to become more popular, every publisher will have a digital imprint soon and e-serials will be a major hit.

Happy New Year!