2010 Resolutions: My report card

One of my practice sketches. She looks like she's cheering!

I'm good with my resolutions for 2010. I don't specifically blurt out "Hello, world! This is my list of resolutions!" It's an ongoing thing for me, it's all about getting better. Here is my report card and some tips for you!

Weight: C- The funny thing with resolutions is that not all of them can be easily crossed off a list and be over and done with.  Like losing weight. I set a goal to lose forty pounds. I did it! Err, sorta. Fifteen pounds when I was sick with the flu, ten pounds when I changed my eating habits (lasted a couple weeks), ten pounds when I joined the gym (that lasted six months), five pounds when I was on book deadline and lived off of crackers and coffee for two weeks.  Overall, I lost forty pounds in 2010! but wouldn't you know they found their home to my bootie just in time for 2011! This resolution is going back on the list, but not for 2011, for a lifetime! 

Writing: B. Another goal I had was to become a  tighter writer and to prove it by having less drafts for my second novel. The first book, I had a LOT of  rewrites. Can you imagine what it's like to rework a 90K document more than a dozen times? For Miss Scarlet, I nailed it in three tries. Before I even started, I made a list of what I needed to remember and I spent extra time refining my outline. Sure, the story changed as it came to life, but at least I always had a rope to hold on to. Right now I'm in between contracts, so my goal for 2011 is to sell another manuscript (or two) to my current publisher. 

Illustration: B. I also wanted to become better at sketching. I had a bumpy start with an online course I took early in 2010, but my spirits brightened when I took some other courses last summer. With or without the classes, I spend an hour every week practicing. I have dozens and dozens of pencil sketches. My goal for next year is to amp it up and move to acrylic on canvas!

Enjoying life, family, work, pets, house, etc: A+!  I don't even have to try at this one, and it's my favorite!

Bottom line? I don't stress too much on resolutions. I focus on being the best person I can, treat people the way I want to be treated, and break a sweat for things I really want. 

I had three professional glitches this year. At the news of one of them, I sat on the bed and bawled my eyes out. I'm talking true soap opera meltdown style - clenching the sheets to my chest, full-on ugly sobs. 

It lasted about 15 minutes. 

Then I came up with a new plan and had a new pep in my step the next morning. 

I figure when life doesn't go our way, we have to deal with it, try to find the lesson within and move forward the best we can, not dwell on what could have or should have been. I don't mean to sound all mama-preachy, but it's so true. If you have past year resolutions you didn't hit, eh, so what? Think about the unexpected goals you not only hit, but surpassed! 

Enjoy the 'happy' that surrounds you. 

That's the most important resolution of all!

Felicidades,