Groundhog Resolutions for Writing

Hundreds of you are still muddling through writing goals for 2011, wondering if you can or cannot accomplish them. It’s that list of things you MUST do in 2011 you made through a haze of Grey Goose and laughter as you continually mumbled the words, “I love you SO much … no … no … listen … I LOVE you …” into the ear lobe of  a best friend, colleague or, worse, your boss.

New Year’s resolutions are a bad idea, and there’s plenty of data to back up this notion, especially if these resolutions are made days before the ball drops on Times Square. Starting in early November, that 45-day period when “holiday spirit” kicks in and a majority of us are negotiating with Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, and Christmas in no place for strident, new commitments.

Travel, appointments, parties, alcohol, food and every other distraction take center stage. Meanwhile, there are cards to be addressed, packages to wrap, trees to decorate, menorahs to light. The list goes on. There’s little time to nail down concrete changes to writer habits.

For most of us, that means the preparation needed to improve the quality and quantity of writing is, mostly, shot. Yes, there are a few of you who simply called Christmas “Saturday,” treated New Year’s Eve like a wake, and eschewed the holidays. Got it. But for the thousands of others obligated to friends, family and charity, that time to get mentally and physically ready to make good on resolutions did not exist.

See, there’s a pack mentality about resolutions. At the start of a new calendar year, EVERYONE makes them. So, one mustn’t be left out, right? Everyone tells you they will add 1,000 more words written per day, query more and make a better effort in as vocal a manner as can be had. But in the end, quietly, these resolutions fail, most because of poor preparation, action and follow through.

The good news? The holidays are over! January is a return to the grind, but it also means the November-December obligations are gone. Now is a very good time to think about writing resolutions.

Let’s call them Groundhog Resolutions.™

Groundhog Resolutions start when the top-hatted Pennsylvanians yank that giant gopher out of the box and hold it aloft (like Harry Hamlin did with the Gorgon head in “Clash of the Titans.”). For Americans, there’s no excuse of knowing the moment this happens; it’s on every major television news network (like the dropping ball).

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVUbjBIVJkw

Groundhog resolutions are better than New Year’s resolutions because they give you time to discover, prepare, act and follow through. That follow-through also means tweaks and changes where necessary. Think about it. As of today, you have 29 days to prepare with few distractions. You can consult your family and friends. Your calendar. Your work schedule. Tarot. Whatever.

It also means you can try things out between now and then before committing to them. Want to write two hours instead of one? Try it. Want to push at least one query letter out per month? Try it. Inquire about a writing class or a writing group? Try it. Once you’re settled on the ones that suit you, write them down. Create rewards for meeting daily, weekly and monthly goals. Find a mentor or friend to stand alongside.

Then, when Groundhog Day hits (Feb. 2 in the United States), commit to the ones that bolster you, and do them again and again and again. After all, you’ve had time to build support from your family and friends, created rewards and thought of ways to manage setbacks. How could you have done all that hovering over a punchbowl filled with Hi-C, Drambuie, lemons and bits of tinsel?

This isn’t for everyone. Changes are hard. Habits are habits. Behaviour is behaviour. However, maybe the Groundhog, that free time and the notion that your writing might just make “the leap” this year may help.

What do you think?

(Photo credit: unknown)

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