Facing the future – with resolution

A new year, a new start? At Take Five Authors, we all have our own aims and goals for 2017 – we’d love to share them with you!

Janet Gover writes: So – 2017. What have you got in store for me?

We never know what’s ahead – but that should not stop us making plans – or New Year’s resolutions. I’m not a fan of the ‘lose weight’ or ‘exercise more’ resolutions. I know I’ll break those. But here are some resolutions I am determined to keep….

• Read more books
• Take my readers and supporters back to Coorah Creek – and this time for a wedding.
• Expand my reading – trying new authors and new genres because there are so many good books out there just waiting to be read.
• Expand my writing – try writing something new and exciting because I love a challenge.

That all sounds good and achievable – wish me luck. And I hope 2017 is a wonderful year for you and yours.

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Ellie Campbell says: Resolutions – seriously, why do we bother! We know that by the time February rolls around we’ll be back to our same old habits. Still New Year is a great time to kid ourselves we can change for the better, so here goes.

1. Finish what we started. We’ve always got at least two or three projects in the pipeline and often find ourselves bouncing from one to the other depending on our mood. But this year we intend to be more focused and linear in our approach – until the next inspiration hits, at least!
2. Set specific times for work and play and let friends and family know about it It’s far too easy to drop everything when friends come round, or get distracted by a phone call, but all that’s going to change once we have our super-duper new working schedule in place. (Note to selves: Come up with super-duper working schedule.) It might also stop us getting lost in Facebook or so absorbed in whatever we’re writing that we forget dinner is cremating in the oven.
3. Start off New Year with desks cleared and bills paid And while we’re at it, get our tax returns sorted early this year. (Yeah, right, that’s going to happen.)
4. Drop the Guilt  Ok, we’re not perfect. However lofty our intentions it always seems there’s something being neglected, be it health, housework, fitness, family, friends, animals. But this year we hope to live entirely in the present and not stress over that extra glass of wine or other worthier ways we could be spending our time.
5. Have fun  Enjoy writing, but also travel lots (Pam), spend more time with horses (Lorraine) and (both) have loads of fun this year. Now this one we might really keep!

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Mary Smith resolves: I will be glad to see the back of 2016 – and not only because I failed to keep some of my resolutions. I suspect many of us are fearful about the future of the world as we enter uncharted political waters.

I guess we could make resolutions at any time of the year; on the first day of spring, say, or mid-summer – but there is something magical about the minute hand slipping past midnight, ushering in the blank pages of the New Year ahead. For each of us, at least on a personal level, there’s the hope the days ahead will be creative, productive and fulfilling.

This year I completed the manuscript for Castle Douglas Through Time (Amberley Publishing, March 2017). However, instead of sticking steadfastly to my New Year resolutions I found myself saying yes to other projects along the way. This meant, although I managed to continue my Goldfish blog about caring for dad through his dementia, I failed to re-write it as a book.

This year I have made only two resolutions:

1. to focus on turning my Goldfish blog into a memoir. I have most of the raw material already written but it all requires a lot of restructuring.
2. to say NO to all other projects which would keep me from my goal of publication of My Dad’s a Goldfish before the end of 2017.

Actually, I might sneak in one more – to make sure I get my nails done regularly, especially when I garden in the summer. Oh, and no more mince pies after December 31.

I wish readers, blog followers, fellow bloggers all the very best for 2017 – and good luck with keeping your own resolutions.

And wouldn’t it be wonderful if politicians and world leaders are right now making their resolutions to bring about peace in the world – though I’m not holding my breath on this.

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Jenny Harper says: I do find Hogmanay/New Year an unsettling time. I found it particularly difficult when I was a single parent – there was always too much to look back at, too many unknowns ahead. I suppose that’s why people do make resolutions at this time – it is truly a time for reflection. It’s difficult not to be clichéd, though. There’s always the food one (less and healthier), the alcohol one (less, and less often) and the fitness one (exercise more). Actually, I’ve done quite well on those in recent years. So what shall I focus on in 2017?

1. Carpe diem. I’ve lost friends this year. This brings a sharp reminder that our time on this earth is short and that we should enjoy it as best we can.
2. Be easier on myself. I’ve grown rather self critical, which is all very well but undermining your own self confidence isn’t a great idea. I’m not perfect, but I’m not bad either!
3. Smell the roses. It’s important to take time out and just sitting in my garden under the dappled shade from the plum tree is a great way of rebalancing. That assumes there’s some sunshine, of course!

Have a great Hogmanay celebration, my friends, and remember to take time to smell the roses too!

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Sue Moorcroft writes: I’m a boring person for resolutions – I don’t make them. At least, I don’t make New Year’s resolutions.  Why wait for a certain date? Needing to lose weight happens every few months! Every holiday or conference has to be countered by a following increase in exercise and a reduction in calorie intake.

If I can see ways to improve my writing then I adopt them immediately. If I feel my interaction with others needs attention then I go for it straight away. I’m impatient by nature.

So, as every other year, my resolution is to make none. Instead I wish you health and happiness … all year round.

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Take Five Authors will be back next week with a post from Ellie Campbell. Meanwhile – enjoy those first few days of 2017, and here’s wishing all of you the very best from all of us.