Happy 2014 everyone!
I hope everyone's 2013 was a good one, and I hope that 2014 will be an even better one!
There are a lot of things that come with a new year, perhaps the most common of which is New Years Resolutions. If you live in my life, you're probably going to get hounded about making them just about every day for the next two weeks. The people in my life are highly supportive of New Years Resolutions and goal setting and such.
But you really can't blame them.
Harvard once did a study, and I really wish I could find the exact study, but I couldn't find it, where they interviewed one of their classes. These are Harvard students, so they're all already really smart and hardworking. They asked each of the students whether they had made New Years Resolutions. This is one of the reasons I wanted the study, so I could give you the exact number.
I think about two thirds of the class or something had made resolutions, half of them had written them down, and ten percent had written out a plan for how they were going to accomplish their goal.
Ten years or later, the students who had made goals were making some percentage more money that the group that hadn't. The one that had written the goals down were making even more money than them and the group that had written out plans was generally making more than twice the group that had written their goals down.
Now I know that this is a young writers blog, but I want you to take this and apply it to anything that you want to accomplish this year.
1. Think about what you want to do or accomplish. Actually think about. Then:
2. WRITE IT DOWN. Type it up or write it down and put it somewhere where you're going to see it. Don't type it up and hide it in a folder on your computer you never look at like I did last year.
And then, especially if it's a vague resolution like "Lose weight" (The number 1 resolution for Americans in 2014) or "Get organized" (Number 2)
3. MAKE A PLAN FOR HOW YOU'RE GOING TO DO IT.
Don't say "Lose Weight", say
"Every Monday, after school at 3:30, I will go jogging for 30 minutes.
Every Tuesday, after school at 3:30, I will do Pop Pilates for an hour.
Every Wednesday, after school at 3:30, I will go jogging for 30 minutes.
Every Thursday, after school at 3:30, I will do Pop Pilates for an hour.
Every Friday, after school at 3:30, I will go jogging for 30 minutes.
Every Saturday, I will get up at 8:00 and go jogging for an hour.
Every Sunday, I will rest."
Use specifics and repetition.
I use exercise because it's an easy one to plan out (though so hard to actually execute... I'm a couch potato... Exercise is icky.) There are some that are harder to plan out, I'll give you that. It's hard to plan out a goal like "Enjoy life to it's fullest" (4th most popular resolution). It's really hard to plan out a resolution like "Get a book published".
However, it is not hard to make a resolution to write a blog post every Friday, which just so happens to be one of mine.
It's not that hard to make a resolution to write 500 words a day.
That's it. 500 words. Just sit down and write 500 words. You're not allowed to write 499. It has to be 500 or more. Even if you have writers block and you have no idea what you're going to do or what you want to write, just write them. EVERY. DAY. Even if you hate them, go back, delete those 500 words the next day and rewrite them if you want to or have to. But write 500 words every day.
By the end of 2014, writing 500 words every day, you will have written 182,500 words. That's easily two novels. So even if you delete what you wrote the day before every other day, you've still written a sizable novel by the end of the year.
Set a time. Right when you get home, before you start your homework. Right after you finish your homework. After your shower. Pick a time and most importantly STICK TO IT.
If your goal is to edit your novel (that would be me ladies and gentlemen), make a resolution to spend 20 minutes or more either thinking or editing or rereading or rewriting your novel a day. 20 minutes. Even if it's just sitting there and debating with yourself whether you really need this chapter in there at all or something else. 20 minutes.
DO IT. Set a time and stick to it.
If your goal is to get it published, spend that same 20 minutes or longer working on query letters or looking for agents or editors you think might be willing to take you on. 20 minutes a day. That's it. That's not even the length of a sitcom.
And finally
4. Do whatever you have to to remind yourself.
Don't put it off or ignore it. If you take it seriously, you'll do it.
And I hope you will, whatever your goal is, literary or not.
Wishing you the best success and see you on Friday! Happy New Year!
- The Vinshire Sisters
I hope everyone's 2013 was a good one, and I hope that 2014 will be an even better one!
There are a lot of things that come with a new year, perhaps the most common of which is New Years Resolutions. If you live in my life, you're probably going to get hounded about making them just about every day for the next two weeks. The people in my life are highly supportive of New Years Resolutions and goal setting and such.
But you really can't blame them.
Harvard once did a study, and I really wish I could find the exact study, but I couldn't find it, where they interviewed one of their classes. These are Harvard students, so they're all already really smart and hardworking. They asked each of the students whether they had made New Years Resolutions. This is one of the reasons I wanted the study, so I could give you the exact number.
I think about two thirds of the class or something had made resolutions, half of them had written them down, and ten percent had written out a plan for how they were going to accomplish their goal.
Ten years or later, the students who had made goals were making some percentage more money that the group that hadn't. The one that had written the goals down were making even more money than them and the group that had written out plans was generally making more than twice the group that had written their goals down.
Now I know that this is a young writers blog, but I want you to take this and apply it to anything that you want to accomplish this year.
1. Think about what you want to do or accomplish. Actually think about. Then:
2. WRITE IT DOWN. Type it up or write it down and put it somewhere where you're going to see it. Don't type it up and hide it in a folder on your computer you never look at like I did last year.
And then, especially if it's a vague resolution like "Lose weight" (The number 1 resolution for Americans in 2014) or "Get organized" (Number 2)
3. MAKE A PLAN FOR HOW YOU'RE GOING TO DO IT.
Don't say "Lose Weight", say
"Every Monday, after school at 3:30, I will go jogging for 30 minutes.
Every Tuesday, after school at 3:30, I will do Pop Pilates for an hour.
Every Wednesday, after school at 3:30, I will go jogging for 30 minutes.
Every Thursday, after school at 3:30, I will do Pop Pilates for an hour.
Every Friday, after school at 3:30, I will go jogging for 30 minutes.
Every Saturday, I will get up at 8:00 and go jogging for an hour.
Every Sunday, I will rest."
Use specifics and repetition.
- Every Monday
- 3:30
- Jogging on some days, Pilates on others
- Half and hour or an hour
- I will go jogging, not I will try ("Do, or do. There is no try.")
I use exercise because it's an easy one to plan out (though so hard to actually execute... I'm a couch potato... Exercise is icky.) There are some that are harder to plan out, I'll give you that. It's hard to plan out a goal like "Enjoy life to it's fullest" (4th most popular resolution). It's really hard to plan out a resolution like "Get a book published".
However, it is not hard to make a resolution to write a blog post every Friday, which just so happens to be one of mine.
It's not that hard to make a resolution to write 500 words a day.
That's it. 500 words. Just sit down and write 500 words. You're not allowed to write 499. It has to be 500 or more. Even if you have writers block and you have no idea what you're going to do or what you want to write, just write them. EVERY. DAY. Even if you hate them, go back, delete those 500 words the next day and rewrite them if you want to or have to. But write 500 words every day.
By the end of 2014, writing 500 words every day, you will have written 182,500 words. That's easily two novels. So even if you delete what you wrote the day before every other day, you've still written a sizable novel by the end of the year.
Set a time. Right when you get home, before you start your homework. Right after you finish your homework. After your shower. Pick a time and most importantly STICK TO IT.
If your goal is to edit your novel (that would be me ladies and gentlemen), make a resolution to spend 20 minutes or more either thinking or editing or rereading or rewriting your novel a day. 20 minutes. Even if it's just sitting there and debating with yourself whether you really need this chapter in there at all or something else. 20 minutes.
DO IT. Set a time and stick to it.
If your goal is to get it published, spend that same 20 minutes or longer working on query letters or looking for agents or editors you think might be willing to take you on. 20 minutes a day. That's it. That's not even the length of a sitcom.
And finally
4. Do whatever you have to to remind yourself.
- Write sticky notes to yourself and put them all over the place.
- Tell a friend. I'm actually really good at making sure other people make their goals. A friend of mine once wanted to finish this book that she needed to finish for a project and I bugged her every single day about it until she finished. Friends can help you.
- Put reminders on your phone.
- Reward yourself.
- Guilt trip yourself.
Don't put it off or ignore it. If you take it seriously, you'll do it.
And I hope you will, whatever your goal is, literary or not.
Wishing you the best success and see you on Friday! Happy New Year!
- The Vinshire Sisters
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