Hi beautiful people. It’s happening. This shitfest of a year is finally coming to an end. As always, the prospect of the new year brings out a giddy excitement in all of us. Time for changes. Time to try something new. Time to schedule blog posts for the next year (unless you’re me, then it’ll be for the next week). It’s an exciting time, and many of my fellow writers will probably be making writing resolutions for the new year.

And by all means, write your resolutions. I think it’s fabulous to create goals for yourself and do what you can to remain accountable to those goals. After all, that’s how you survive in this industry. You have to push yourself. In an ocean of other writers, no one is going to penalize you for not working on your manuscript… Mostly because we’re all procrastinate-y shits who find ways not to work until a deadline kicks our behinds into gear.

My one piece of advice, above all else, is to set reasonable goals for yourself. I know today and tomorrow are full of promise and opportunity. The whole year is ahead of you and it seems like such a long time. But don’t set yourself up for failure. Don’t create an obscene amount of crazy deadlines to reach because you feel competitive with other writers. Don’t forget that reality can easily get in the way of writing deadlines. Don’t forget to give yourself time to breathe, to recover, to do something outside of writing.

Work at a speed that suits your lifestyle. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to push yourself, but don’t go buckwild. 2017 is just another year. Don’t create an opportunity for you to not meet unrealistic goals.

Not to be a Debbie Downer or anything. I think it’s great to set goals and resolutions.

Just be realistic. Because I love you. And I don’t want your little writerly heart to break if real life gets in the way and you struggle to do all you set out to. Because I’ve been there, and it sucks.

Anyway. This post got a bit too real for me. Have a fabulous New Year’s Eve, everyone! I believe in your dreams! Make your resolutions (smartly)! And I’ll see you in the new year.