January 1st comes along and everyone talks about their resolutions for the year ahead. I did the same thing.
Sadly, I have not been keeping up with my side of the bargain and I am ashamed to admit from the list I made back in January (http://greatbigjar.wordpress.com/2013/01/04/happy-new-year-seven-steps-to-a-new-me/) I have started 4, completed 2 and ignored 1 altogether. The one that I am really annoyed with myself the most about is not writing something on my blog every day. It’s like a diary for my literary mind, keeping me focused and reasonably enthusiastic.
It’s the Easter Holidays, which means it’s been three months since I decided to capture how I was going to get my act together. So, what have I done in the past three months that is sooooo important to take me away from my writing? Hee haw plums, that’s what. Nothing. Nada. Not even a sausage.
My measly effort for 2013 so far has been hampered by the following:
1. Signed up to do a half marathon – it’s not long so my three weekly runs should now be around 12 miles each. They are not and I am getting nervous. My best so far is just under 10 miles in the snow around Arthur’s Seat. Jelly legs is putting it mildly for what was in store for my wee pins the next day.
2. Worst weather in Scotland for Easter on record – hence why number 1 is taking me so long. It was 20 degrees this time last year, positively tropical in Scottish terms. The only thing my bikini is seeing at the moment is the underneath of my bed, hidden away in my very small ‘summer clothes’ pile. Gathering dust. Waiting patiently for some sun. Sigh.
3. Decided we like a house nearby so we have spent the last three weeks drawing ideas of what we would do to said house if we got it. Gutting our house ready to sell to another family has taken over my life. And wow – have we found some amazing things we forgot we had! Very therapeutic, I would highly recommend it. Although I was slightly startled with my overwhelming OCD to minimalise ‘stuff’. Our wee abode looks brilliant now and I have to admit that I have cleared out Homebase of their plastic see-through boxes – sorry about that!
4. Easter Holidays – I still have eight school-days to keep the boys amused with play dates, sleep overs, cinema, walking, hopefully sledging at some point if the snow stays. Their list is endless. My cries for ‘let’s have a jammy day’ are sometimes met with scorn and other times nodding of heads as we get the blanket out and watch a film.
I know – this is not a good reason for me to be slacking for the last three months but I’m running out of excuses.
5. The research for my crime novel has been thorough and I am ready to persevere although I need to stop editing. However, the police regime in Scotland is changing as of next Monday and the changes will blow everything I have written so far, out the water. I could do the ‘it used to be’ part but I may get confused and switch tenses too much – I am easily confused as most of you know. I think a more thorough chapter plan is required so I don’t get lost in the admin of it all. I might even just make the MC’s jobs as a kind of background rather than one of the main parts of the story. Decisions, decisions.
6. Great news though – I have started to write a book for 6 to 8 years old. I am genuinely excited about this – watch this space!
After considering all of the above, I think an interim resolution list is required. It should be a rule that if you prepare a resolution list in January you need to re-visit it at the half way mark.
Or maybe I should just stop finding other things to do and get down to work.
Agreed.