2011 - New Year, Same Icy

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So it’s finally 2011. I could sit here and dissect how well I maintained the resolutions I made in 2010 but I’d rather look forward than back. (For those who are interested, I managed two out of ten, but considering one of them was to master teleportation, that’s hardly surprising).

I don’t actually like the idea of resolutions, particularly since my inner rebel seeks to break them as soon as they’re made. Why should I wait until January 1st to decide to do something new, or to attend something about which I am unhappy? It’s nonsense. As a result, I’ve decided to compile a short list of things I would like to have done, or mastered, by the end of 2011.

1) Complete The New Author One Million Word Challenge.
I accepted this challenge on Twitter (the brainchild of @TheNewAuthor), and as the name suggests, I have to write one million words between January 1st and December 31st. For the mathematically minded, that equals 2740 words per day. Blog posts, fiction, journaling – they all count toward the total (although tweets don’t). The word count meter on the right will show how I’m getting on.

2) Fiction.
I want to finish the new novella I began on New Year’s Eve for Pulp Press, edit my YA novel and begin getting it out in front of agents, and I want to release the Parrots and Piracy e-book. These are the main goals, at least. There are other things I’d like to do, but these three are top of the list.

3) Academia.
I've wanted to do a PhD ever since I graduated in 2005 with my MA in Cinema Studies, and in the summer of 2010, I finally made enquiries about beginning a PhD in Film Studies. Things have been going well thus far, so with any luck, I’ll be starting in October. Getting work underway on it is one of my major goals for the year.

4) Crafts.
I’ve now been knitting for two years, with a reasonable degree of success. I had a go at knitting on dpns (double-pointed needles) over Christmas, and I’d like to master that particular skill, especially so I can knit my first pair of seamless socks. I also want to learn to crochet at some point.

5) Art.
I remembered how much I enjoyed art in 2010, and I’d like to continue this momentum into 2011, whether I’m taking photographs, whipping up e-book covers, or drawing cartoons.

Now, you’ll notice that I haven’t listed the banishment of any bad habit, or the imposition of a new diet/exercise regime. This ties in with my desire to master or complete something, as opposed to resolving to do something. All of these choices are achievable, and steps have already been taken to point me in the right direction. They give me something to both aim for and work on whilst remaining realistic about my chances of completion.

It’ll be interesting to revisit this list 365 days from today!