The New Year - A Time to Reflect

As the start of 2016 nears, we start to reflect back on the year that is passing.  

The new year is a great time for writers to look back at what they accomplished and look ahead to the year coming up.

When we reflect back over our previous experiences, we can identify activities that created a positive effect on our writing and productivity.
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Let’s take a look over 2015 and determine what went well:
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• What activities improved your knowledge and skill levels?
• What workshops, books, or lectures did you learn from?
• What writing lessons or prompts helped you the most?
• What schedule did you follow this year that worked well?

As you look back over the last year, you may find that waking an hour early to write allowed you to produce 100 pages more than the previous year.  Or you may find that attending a particular writing workshop inspired you to try a different genre or style.
As writers, our needs can ebb and flow over time.  

The techniques that motivated us to write in our youth no longer hold they sway as we age.  Sometimes, setting aside time for personal time (i.e., getting your hair done, exercising, reading in a quiet place, or taking a workshop) can actualize a positive effect in our writing.  Some people suggest that spending more time walking or hiking will improve their writing productivity.

Take some time to contemplate what worked well in 2015 and what would have been improved.  The reflection should give you insight as to what your successful actions were as you prepare to wrap up the year.

Once you made peace with the old year, look forward to the new one.  Some people set new year’s resolutions for themselves but find the excitement of that process wears off after a couple of weeks, leaving one feeling disillusioned and failed.

Think about your writing in 2016:

• What did you accomplish in 2015 that you would like to repeat in 2016?
• What successful actions did you employ in 2015, or before, that you could repeat in 2016?
• What accomplishment did you achieve that you might build upon for the coming year?
• What is one step that you can take to improve your writing overall in the coming year?

Over the years, many people have told me that if they set big-picture plans and goals rather than resolutions, they are more successful.  For example, in 2015, I attended a weekend workshop at the Iowa Summer Writing Festival. The 2-day workshop energized me so much that I was able to write almost 200 pages in the six months following the workshop.  For this year, I would like to attend another workshop in Iowa, even though I realize that the outcome may be different.
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May 2017 be your most successful writing yet!

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