Tag Archives: New Year

Why I have no goals.

Posted on
9

We were walking the circle in our neighborhood, taking in the 72 degree air as a gift — a peace offering of the first day of the year. Easy walk. Easy conversation.

“So, 2012. What’s it look like for you?”

He offered a great conversation starter. But he also reached deep. He wasted no time.

He knows that the start of the new year means the start of new creative goals. He knows about the 100 songs and how projects just come tumbling out of me after that impossible year. He knows I aim to stretch and challenge myself again.

He also knows I’m riding waves of soul-stirring and artist-churning. He’s seen me raked and rattled this fall. He’s seen me dismantle myself and rebuild, day by day, page by page. And he knows much is on my horizon. He can see it.

And I can see it.

I dropped my head at his question, inhaling the courage to face my uncharacteristic answer. I’ve given it much thought, and my heart still asks permission. “Can I really do this?” The question echoes through so many hallways of my life right now. The answer is always yes, but it still catches me off guard.

“I don’t know.”

His eyes lifted from the pavement in front of us and studied my face. I think I surprised him.  I kept my focus on the steps ahead.

“I have no idea what this year is going to be like. And, with adoption on our horizon and these changes in my work and creativity, I hesitate to impose any intense goals over what could be one of the most life-changing years I’ve ever faced. It’s already different. Too much has already changed, and I still don’t know where this going but I’m not about to prematurely define it. It feels strange, this goal-less-ness. But I don’t think I can set any more expectations on this year. All I can do is have a grasp of the next six weeks. And then I’ll look at the six weeks after that.”

He approved.

Exhale.

Ok. This isn’t crazy. This is a good idea. As wandering as it seems, it’s the right way to start this year.

I do feel a bit adrift at sea. But I’d rather see it as a one-woman cruise. I’m not threatened by this lack of planning. I’m going to embrace it. I’m going to walk this year out day by day, week by week, month by month. I’m not going to get ahead of myself but I am going to run wide open as far and fast as I can.

And for this moment, I’ve got January and February in my sights. And good grief, March can wait.

Not haphazard or unintentional. Just goal-less.

What about you? Are you goal-less this year, or goal-full? What’s on your horizon?

What’s next???

Posted on
20

Heyyyyyy everybodyyyyyyyy!!!

This year I took on the goal of writing 25 new songs and rewriting 25 old songs, adding up to 50 titles this year. Ok. Let’s be honest: I haven’t technically “met” this goal.

Oops.

In reality, I’ve churned out 36 new songs and 13 rewrites. That makes 49. Eek. As I type this, just days before the new year (oh the suspense!) I’ve got ONE song to go. Aughhhh ONE!!! So, at some point between now and 2011, I’ll either write or rewrite something and be done with it. I can’t promise it’ll be a good one. At all… It’ll have to do.

Anyway, moving on to next year. Yayyyy!!! My goal for 2011 is to do some form of 3 songs a month. Someone recently used that count as an example of what staff writers aim for. I have no idea if it’s a legit figure, but it’s all I have to go on. AND I want to be a staff writer, so there ya go.

I also have an amorphic (why don’t the dictionaries recognize this word? it’s one of my favorites.) immeasurable goal of getting over my stage-fright. There’s something brewing behind the scenes of my life that I’ll tell y’all about REAL soon. But I’ve got plans to force myself into performing REAL soon. Like *REAL* soon.

Anyway, those are my goals. 3 songs/month + performing somehow some way.

Any goals/resolutions you’ve got in the works for 2011? Do share!! Let’s encourage one another in this!

The secret to successful New Year’s Resolutions.

Posted on
12

Remember that “I am” post where we filled in the blanks: I am _____. And I should be _______.

Well, this is about the “should be” part of that. A lot of us are already dreaming up a new version of ourselves for 2011. And, while we’re all in that mindset, I thought I’d share with you my secret to successful New Year’s Resolutions.

I’ve been chewing on the whole fail-factor for quite some time, wondering why in the world those wonderful resolutions hardly see the light of Resurrection Sunday (aka: Easter)… I mean, if we say we’re gonna do something, why aren’t we doing it? For the past two years, I’ve set pretty high songwriting goals and in a few weeks I will be able to say that I achieved both of them.

<insert voice of someone trying to sell OxiClean> These two whole years of goals obviously make me an expert on how to have a successful Resolution! So, in all my “expertise” I’ve come up with some factors that have helped me actually achieve in 12 months what I’ve set out to do at the dawn of a new year:

  1. Make it worthwhile. (If you hardly believe in your goal, you won’t waste your time on it.)
  2. Make it memorable. (You’d be surprised at how many people forget just what exactly they’ve said they’re gonna accomplish. Case in point: Can you remember your goal for 2009? Or even 2010?)
  3. Make it simple. (Ornate complicated goals feel like a complete life overhaul. How possible is that?)
  4. Make it achievable. (If we even for a moment think it’s impossible, we will lose momentum… Or worse: we won’t really try.)
  5. Make it practical. (Abstract, undefined concepts like “I want to be a nicer person” don’t get very far. They just don’t. I’m sorry.)
  6. Make it measurable. (If you can’t keep track of progress, you will start to feel like you’re getting nowhere. This is all about maintaining momentum. Think “forward motion.”)
  7. Make it doable. (Mix a little of #5 & #4 together in a blender & you have a pretty good picture of what I’m getting at here.)

“It’s that time of year, when the world falls in love and” sets New Year’s Resolutions! Hopefully, these tips will get you geared up to really do something next year. So, act fast while supplies last! Make a small goal–a small change. But, wait! There’s more! A lot of small changes add up to a big change. What’s yours gonna be?

NOTE: I just found this article listing a few online goal-tracking services. VERY helpful. I’ve used one of them myself before. http://workawesome.com/goals/online-goal-tracking-tools/

Please make checks payable to Amanda C Thompson. Cash and C.O.Ds also accepted. Just kidding. Thanks for reading the fine print!