Wednesday, January 5, 2022

Revisit, Reflect, Revamp, Restart.

 

by Mindy Obenhaus

Here we are again at the start of a brand-new year. An empty calendar/planner lays before us just waiting to be filled. There’s something about those empty spaces that excites me. Perhaps it’s the thought of all the potential that lies ahead. The what-could-be instead of the what-might-have-been.

In case you can’t tell, I’m an optimist. However, I’m also a realist, which means I’m not about to dive into a new year simply hoping for the best. No, I need some sort of a plan, no matter how loose it might be. Like a map that points me in the right direction while giving me the freedom to enjoy the scenery along the way.

Instead of New Year’s resolutions, I prefer to set goals for the coming year. Things I’d like to accomplish or improve upon. I’ve found the best place for me to keep track of those goals is in my very simple weekly/monthly planner. There are pages at the back for notes and that very last page is the perfect place to write out those goals, so I always know where to find them. And I will want to find them because they’ll be an integral part of planning for the next year. Come on, I’ll show you what I mean.

Revisit – Before I get started with my goals for the coming year, I need to look back at those from last year to see how I did. Armed with a pen and my new calendar/planner, I sit down with my previous one and look back at what I set out to achieve the year prior. The things I accomplished, I cross off the list and give myself a little high-five. It’s a rare occasion when I’m able to checkoff everything, though. Sometimes I even find myself wondering what I was thinking when I wrote something down. That’s when it’s time to…

Reflect – Why didn’t I achieve those goals? Were they too lofty? Maybe I didn’t put forth enough effort. If not, why? Perhaps I wasn’t all that set on them to begin with. We have to be honest with ourselves. If there’s something that’s still important to me, it gets added to the new list with hopes that I’ll do better in the coming year. Other times the realist in me says, “Nope, not happening.”
Revamp – My list for the year ahead starts with those things that have carried over from the previous year. Then ponder things I’d like to see happen in the coming year. They don’t have to be grand. Last year, I wanted to go deeper into God’s word. A few years ago, one of my goals was to learn how to create a meme. Once I did a little research, I discovered some websites where I can waste countless hours trying to decide on a design. But I had to take those first steps to make my goal a reality.

Of course, there are some things that are out of our control, so be realistic. Your goal may be to get a book contract, but that’s not something you have control over. However, there are things you can do to improve your writing/storytelling so that you have a better chance of receiving that elusive contract.

Restart – Once you have your list, no matter how short or long it might be, you’re ready to embark on your journey. Your map is set out before you, though you can always add or delete a few stops along the way because as we all know, life happens. Just don’t give up. Because even if you only achieve one goal, it’s an accomplishment that should be celebrated.

What are your goals for 2022? Perhaps you want to finally clean out that closet that’s been a catchall for too many years. Maybe you want to finish the manuscript for that story that’s been floating around your brain forever. Is there a bad habit you’d like to break? Or maybe you’d like to learn how to make a meme. Whatever it is, write it down and revisit it often. Reflect on why you wanted to do that. Revamp things as needed. And remember, it’s never too late to restart and set yourself on the path to a better you. The you God has called you to be.

Award-winning author Mindy Obenhaus is passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. She lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, two sassy pups, countless cattle, deer and the occasional coyote, mountain lion or snake. When she's not writing, she enjoys spending time with her grandchildren, cooking and watching copious amounts of the Hallmark Channel. Learn more at www.MindyObenhaus.com

26 comments:

  1. Great suggestions, Mindy. My goal is to finally do the revision on the book I have written.

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    1. That's a great goal, Sandy. A little bit at a time and before you know it, it'll be done.

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  2. Mindy! This is a good booster shot, if you'll pardon the expression. I have always loved the idea of goals rather than resolutions. The two ugliest words in English, at least in January, are "diet" and "budget." You Do The Best You Can.
    I have a lot of goals, but I guess the one that matters here is getting back to fiction. I can't seem to get my mind around it. Guess I'll do some of the journaling and free-writing I NEVER NEEDED BEFORE. I'm sure if I opened my WIP I could get back into it, but I can't even do that. Pity, because there were only three chapters left in the first draft...Is Ruthy on today? Need kick in pants...
    I'm going to set goals and plug away at them. It's like cooking an elephant or whatever that metaphor is.
    Having a catch-up day and may be back later. Lots of little ends to tie up to make the big ones work.
    Kathy Bailey
    Your Kaybee
    Coming back slowly in New Hampshire

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    1. Three chapters?! Kathy, you're on the downhill slide. Open up that WIP and hop to it. You can do it. Just think how wonderful it would be to end the first month of the year with a completed draft.

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    2. Thank you, Mindy. I'm so close to the end...

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  3. I gave up resolutions years ago...but I love your approach to goal setting!

    The one constant that I've found when I don't achieve my goals is when the unexpected happens. Over the past several years, things completely out of my control have thrown my well-laid-out plans into a tailspin. Big things. Life changing things. It happens so regularly that I have come to realize that maybe God is trying to teach me a lesson. (LOL!) I need to write MY goals and plans in pencil and let HIM direct my ways.

    So I fill out my intentions in my planner in pencil and see what happens by the end of the day/month/year!

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    1. Jan, is that not the truth? And it's even more prevalent now, with the Disease We Dare Not Name. I lost TWO WEEKS to it in December, okay, right, nobody has anything to do in December of all times, and that's why I'm behind on WIP, see above. And you can't predict COVID. Honestly, we did everything right. A planner in pencil, I LIKE THAT, the best laid plans of mice and men don't always go right. Let's trust the Lord.

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    2. Jan, I use pencil in my calendar, too. Always makes me wonder if I'm afraid of commitment. But you're right. We're simply allowing room for the unexpected. I mean, if 2020 didn't drive that home, I don't know what will. Eesh.

      Goals are attainable. Resolutions are kind of like talking smack. The follow-through just isn't there.

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  4. Such a smart, organized, and sensible approach to goal setting! Thank you, Mindy!

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    1. Isn't this great? And not one mention of diets or budgets.

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    2. Erica, I believe in the KISS approach. Keep it simple, sweetie.

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    3. Kathy, what are those ridiculous words you speak of? :D

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  5. Mindy, the other reason I like this post is that good habits should be a lifestyle, not a "resolution." You don't break a lifestyle. You may fall off the metaphorical wagon, but you'll get back on again.

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    1. Great analogy, Kathy. An achievable plan and baby steps are a wise approach to most things.

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  6. I love pencil!!!! Pencils come with erasers for a reason. Sometimes we need to change the lines. Bend it like Beckham. When I look ahead I am very serious about what must get done, but then I want leeway about what I want to get done... life has enough stress without me adding untold amounts. Mindy, thanks for the reminder that adjustments.... and variables... happen.

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    1. Ruthy said, "life has enough stress without me adding untold amounts."

      Mindy says, "Ain't that the truth!" :)

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  7. Mindy, I love your practical tips as well as your optimistic mindset. I need to be more intentional about writing down my goals. I know my writing goals: write and complete two books. Other goals? I'm still working on that one. :) I especially liked what you said about evaluating the goals we don't meet and determining the why's behind that.

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    1. Jeanne, every time I find myself saying something like, "I wish I could do this better," or "I wish I knew how to...," there's a potential goal there. If it's something that's relatively important, it's goes on the list. Even if I look at it a year from now and wonder what I was thinking. ;)

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  8. I love mechanical pencils and those big pink erasers! I only write down the most important things that are more than a month ahead in my planner. Everything else goes weekly or monthly as it happens. I do have my overall wishlist of things I hope to do or improve. Right now, I just feel good about getting all the Christmas decorations down (yesterday) and resuming a form of normalcy.

    My goals for this year all pertain to writing and my personal walk with God. How I need His guidance! I am working on my 11th novel with little to no knowledge of marketing which feels like being on a sinking ship at times. But I love writing too much to quit, so I am enrolled in two online (and expensive) classes about marketing. Pray that God will guide me and give me the intelligence to comprehend and retain what I am about to learn.

    Seekerville has been an absolute blessing!

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    1. Lynne, I feel your pain on the marketing. That's something I struggle with, as well. It's so much easier to hide behind the computer and write. Look at what other people who write what you write to see what they do. Pick their brains and find out what works for them. Perhaps we could urge some of the Seekers to share a post or two on marketing. Lots of personalities and approaches to pull from. And yes, I'll be praying for you.

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  9. Mindy, you always have such meaningful posts, you are a down to earth lady. I don't do resolutions, I do the "My One Word" and it works out great. I'm going to use your suggestion and get a planner. Happy New Year!

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    1. Happy New Year to you, Karen. You just made my day. I'm still trying to come up with my "One Word." There are so many to choose from. God will let me know in His time.

      As for the planner, it doesn't have to be anything fancy. Some can be a bit overwhelming.

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  10. My goal is to spend more time in the Word and to do some scrapbooking and sewing that I haven’t touched since my mom passed. Blessings

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    1. Lucy, I will be praying that you're able to get back into that scrapbooking and sewing again soon. I understand. Though it you may find it to be therapeutic. And spending time in God's Word is something we can never do enough of.

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  11. I have such a hard time with goal setting, probably because I have commitment issues. I fear making a wrong decision, so I end up making no decision at all! I need to try a pencil approach, I think. Another great post and I agree that it's nice that it didn't say anything about diets LOL

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    1. Glynis, I couldn't help but laugh at your comment about commitment issues. I was raising my hand, of course. Lynne used the word "wishlist." Perhaps you could try that. It sounds less rigid. And a hearty yes to the pencil. Along with an eraser. ;)

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