Daily Archives: January 19, 2008

Once and Future Writer: Of resolutions and goals

At a recent LERA meeting, the speaker handed out file cards. Told us to write down our goals for one month, six months, one year, and five years. Seemed like a great idea, get us to write down goals and really cement in our New Year resolution.

Then she collected them all back to keep. Oops.

Now it’s not just a goal I make to myself, and can fulfill or ignore as the spirit moves me. I’m 100% sure she’s going to be standing up at the front of the room next month reading off our goals, asking if we’ve met them, then asking why. In other words, a serious, buckle down and get it done goal.

Talk about motivation! Or would this be conflict? I’m motivated to avoid the conflict I would have to face by admitting I hadn’t managed to follow through on those goals. Works for me. And I mean really works for me. Instead of an obscure someday I now have a concrete do it by date. Amazing what difference a 3 X 5 card makes. Especially in someone else’s hands.

Which got me thinking about resolutions and goals and all the rest of what we do to make ourselves write, or to keep ourselves from writing. And I realized I was not giving myself the respect I give to other writers.

So, here’s a goal, in writing, and in front of most of my world. I am a writer. I matter as a writer, and I deserve respect from other writers but most of all from myself. I will give myself that respect, and make the effort to WRITE when I first sit down at the computer. Not check e-mail. Not format artwork. Write.

I deserve it. I AM a writer.

Happy writing.

Monica Henderson Stoner