Simon Vouet’s Father Time Overcome by Love, Hope, and Beauty
Source: Wikimedia Commons

Oh no! Another post about How The Blogger Will Totally Transform in the coming New Year.

So let’s see, in 2014 I will:

Lose weight and become svelte and sophisticated.

Exercise and become svelte and sophisticated.

Sell a romance series to a big five publisher and earn five star reviews.

Have an immaculate house and abundantly productive garden without ruining my svelte and sophisticated manicure.

Become debt-free.

Right.

Obviously, as goals, these are pretty stinky. Become svelte? I had a period of svelte-ness long ago, when I was maybe ten. I have long since crossed that time/hormone continuum. Sell a romance series? Only Nora Roberts and a few other folks can for sure check off that line item. And an immaculate house? Let’s not even go there.

With twelve very challenging months under my belt, I can relate to Father Time being overcome by Love, Hope, and Beauty, or perhaps having Love, Hope, and Beauty harpooned out of him.

Love and beauty can be hard to recapture, but the closer I come to midnight December 31st, the more I find hope stirring within me for the year to come. Let me share with you the better way I’m using to plan my year: I’m going to fine-tune my processes, not set goals. James Clear has a great blog on this subject.

Let me summarize his points:

Goals reduce your current happiness. (I’ve starved all week so why haven’t I lost more weight?)

Goals are strangely at odds with long-term progress. (I lost that pound so I can have those cookies.)

Goals suggest that you can control things that you have no control over. (Umm, like that big book contract.)

The solution? Commit to a process, not a goal. Translated into my New Year’s resolution, that means daily word counts, regular blogging, healthy eating, and regular exercise. Oh and an occasional vacuuming. I won’t bore you with the details.

What about you? How are you mapping out your plans for 2014?

Wishing everyone a happy and prosperous New Year!