Here we are then, 2013. After a rather mild New Years Eve, and a relatively trauma free return to work, I find myself staring down the barrel of another 365 days of action packed, white knuckle thrills. Or failing that, mild excitements to break the tedium. Also, to be absolutely technically correct (the best kind of correct), there are a mere 362 or so days remaining. Time flies, etc. etc.
The removal of the old, graffitoed monthly time keeping device and its replacement with a pristine new calendrical wonder is seen as an opportunity by many to pontificate uponst the wicked turns their life has taken, and resolve to be A Better Person in the year to come. I have usually avoided such navel gazing, making such resolute non-resolutions as; To resolve to keep my New Years resolution, and; To fight evil wherever it may arise.
This year though, I have an actual, honest-to-goodness New Years resolution. Perhaps it is the looming spectre of my 30th, or my rapidly approaching 5th Wedding Anniversary, but it sprung up in my mind of its own accord, fully formed. It is as follows:
- To write more in 2013, to write a greater variety of pieces, and to write primarily for my own personal enjoyment.
Past attempts at writing more often have had varying attempts of success, usually getting bogged down in dissatisfaction at the form or format I have chosen. This year, instead of having a prescriptive goal of 'write X words per week' or 'write X blog entries per month', I am taking things a little easier and trying to simply be aware of and take opportunities to write, if and when they arise. This goes very much against the grain of what I train people when covering goal setting in the classroom.
The accepted dogma for goal setting in my workplace is the SMART goal formula, and the above resolution certainly doesn't fit the SMART template. At this point in a class I would exhort my trainees that the goal is therefore Doomed To Failure. I dunno though, we'll see. I feel the less rules and restrictions I have, the more I'll do.
I am excited by the opportunity to explore other forms and styles of writing. Most of these experiments will probably never see the light of day, but I anticipate much enjoyment, tempered with a healthy amount of frustration in their creation!
As these be new waters I propose to navigate, I don't exactly have a lot planned to start out with. I have been looking into on line and printed resources for writing exercises and the like. If anyone has any good suggestions for where to find these, or resources they have found useful, I would be very grateful for them. I find myself pondering whether I should join a writers group/club, and whether they would accept a fairly rank beginner into their midst. Ah well. Perhaps these meandering musings are meant for another day and another topic. Exciting times!
Posts
