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The Allure of the Fresh Start

I love the idea of a fresh start, don’t you?

It doesn’t matter when it happens (New Year, the first day of spring, the start of a new academic year), I’m always ready with my list of “this time it’ll be different” resolutions.

• This time I’ll get my assignments done ahead of time!
• This time I’ll write every day, even if I don’t feel inspired!
• This time I’ll floss three times a day!
  

  And What Happens Next?

  You know what I’m going to say, don’t you?

  I’m excited to follow through on my plans for about three days.

  Then I start to force myself to stick to the new regime.

  Then I start to miss a day here or there…

  …and suddenly it’s June and I’m flipping through my journal and I find that massive, guilt-inducing list of Things I’m Going To Do Differently This Year, and my shoulders slump, and I spend the next three weeks in a slump, wondering why I can’t get anything done.

  Sound familiar?

Continue reading “How To Set Exciting Writing Goals for Next Year — And Actually Meet Them, This Time!”