Jeremy C Kester

I have one genuine resolution in 2018: get my writing career off the ground. As I’ve stated before, it’s the same every year. But let’s face it, it’s vague. And vague goals don’t get accomplished.

After another frustrating day dealing with the seeds of greed, I decided that I need a better approach to making my dreams happen. I need clear, small, attainable goals, each taking me a small step closer to the greater mission of independent livelihood through my creations. That’s what they say to do, right?

I have indeed found over time, that I am less likely to do the needed steps when they are ill defined. Or hidden behind an overt, overarching goal. Even the phrase: “get my writing career off the ground” is meaningless if you really think about it. It’s off the ground right now. I am writing, am I not? There’s no specifics in it. And I need those specifics. Sure, I know it means that I get to a point that I can work by writing rather than what I do now, but by not being specific, I am leaving room for me to let it be some unattainable blob that I end up doing nothing about.

I need to make a road map, with lots of checkpoints along the way towards a goal. This is irrespective of whether I know where the destination is. What I do should get me closer, or set me up to find better ways in the future to advance my ambitions.

So I have started a to-do list. One could call it a list of resolutions, but I like to think of it more as a to-do list. A checklist of the things I need to accomplish this year. Small things. Simple things. Like set up my email list. And some bigger things, like finishing particular projects. In those larger items, I need to get smaller itemized steps on how to bring them to fruition.

I will make 2018 my year. Even if my resolution doesn’t happen, I will make sure that I have laid a good foundation for it before the year is out.