Someone once asked me if I thought it was possible to essentially flip a switch and change into the person you wanted to be.
My guess is that it was around the end of the year and we were talking about things we wanted to do in the upcoming year. I know neither one of us was happy — both of us worked in a restaurant at the time. She had aspirations of becoming a gourmet pastry chef. I wanted to write.
Perhaps feeling the weight of unwritten stories on me, I said I was optimistic. People can change. You just have to commit.
That was 1992.
Nearly 30 years later, I find myself in a similar situation. Okay, that’s not entirely true. Or, if I think hard on it, even remotely true. A lot has happened: I went to college, got out of the restaurant biz and, in many respects, became a writer — first in the newspaper industry, then healthcare and now in my position as communications manager. I have written three novels (first drafts, which have since languished) and published stories on Amazon through Kindle Direct Publishing.
What I haven’t done, I think, is make that commitment I hinted at so long ago. I still struggle to maintain a daily writing goal, to build up the mental muscles and writing technique necessary to improve my work. A quick look at this blog will provide some evidence, Amazon another — I haven’t posted anything new in more than a year, because I haven’t finished anything new in that long.
In 2021, I will again attempt to flip that switch. I have plans, big plans, but I’ve learned that if I don’t write them down — and tell someone else about them — then they won’t progress any further than that.
I will, at minimum, finish my current Work In Progress (WIP), both the first draft and whatever subsequent revisions are needed to make it suitable to publish. My initial goal, to have it finished by the end of this month, has already changed (which is also part of the reason why I’m writing this). My new deadline on it is the end of February (it’s another month, but at least it’s a short month).
I also have two short stories that are half-finished. They will be complete within the same timeframe.
After that, I will edit one of my previous novels, then go back to my current one with fresh eyes. By the end of the year, I will have two novels ready to send out, as well as any short stories that come up in the meantime. And regular blog posts, too.
Part of my confidence this year is tied into my physical fitness goals: I think to get my mind back in shape, I need to get my body in shape, too. I’ve set a goal of riding — between trail, road and exercise bike — 2,021 miles this year.
If you’re in the same boat as I am, frustrated at lack of progress try these simple steps. Write your goals down. Tell someone else and authorize them to hold you accountable. If writing is your goal, find someone who is willing to check in on you, maybe a weekly zoom meeting, where you can talk shop, talk progress or just decompress.
I still believe people can change. It’s just not as easy as flipping a switch.
Scott Spielman 