Around here, we love that firework energy the new year brings. We prepare affirmations, create vision boards, and set goals that we are so amped to throw ourselves into the second we open our eyes in January.
But as bright and brilliant as they are, fireworks fizzle out quickly. Only 9% of people keep their resolutions for the full year. If you’re determined to make this year different, follow our five-item to-do list to prepare for your most successful new year yet.
1. Reflect On Your Last Writing Year
Before you decide what changes to make, you first need to evaluate what should and shouldn’t change. You don’t want to spend time and energy fixing routines and mindsets that aren’t broken or create ones that won’t work for you; likewise, you don’t want to unintentionally neglect the parts of your writing life that truly need your attention.
There’s no shortage of generic reflection questions floating around the Internet meant to help you think on the past year, but you can find questions specific to the writing life within The Write Gym and The Write Gym Workbook.
2. Celebrate Your Writing Wins for the Year
Celebrating what went right during the year is just as important as determining what went wrong. Humans have a tendency to focus on the negative, so we must be intentional about looking for the good as well as the bad and the ugly. After all, if something’s working for you, it can be so helpful to examine why, so you can apply those same principles to more aspects of your life.
It’s also essential to celebrate writing wins when we have them. Here are twenty ways to do exactly that in the new year.
3. Create SMART Goals
After giving yourself your kudos, it’s time to get down to business in the SMARTest way possible. (See what I did there?) In case you didn’t know, SMART is a clever acronym for a much-beloved goal-setting framework. It stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.
If you’re new to this kind of goal setting, consider only creating a few goals to help you better maintain your focus, or even a single goal you really throw your back into. We have a free SMART goals worksheet available for you on our Free Downloads page, but if you want more in-depth guidance, you’ll find dedicated pages in The Write Gym Workbook.
4. Create a Reading List
We’ve all heard the advice before. The best way to improve your writing is to read. I, for one, am very guilty of ignoring this advice outright, but I’d like that to change in the new year! If you’re with me on this, you’ll find a curated listed of fiction and nonfiction books on our Bookshop page, and you can also buy select craft books directly from our shop!
5. Implement a Backup System
This is not the first time we’ve recommended backing up your drafts, but this is the first time we’ve tacked on that all-important, life-changing word, system. Backing up files once in a while, when you think of it, is not enough. You won’t have to ask around for long before hearing horror stories about writers losing days, weeks, months, or years of words. Even our very own Racquel Henry has been a victim of fate in this way!
Backing up your files doesn’t have to be a lengthy or painful or technologically complicated process. No matter what word processor or program you use, somewhere in the menus will be a magic word: export. Pick a day of the week, pick a time, and make it part of your writing routine to click that button!
(Quick note: when I’ve given this advice before, people have been turned off by the format the exported file is presented in. While I sympathize, I also would like to note that it’s the words that are important, and how the document is organized is something you can change later if you must.)
Below are a few places to upload those files once you’ve got them. I recommend choosing at least two that feel intuitive to check, because if you can’t find your backups, they’re as good as nonexistent.
- Send files as attachments to a dedicated email address
- Upload to a cloud storage service like Google Drive or Dropbox
- Upload to your task management system like Notion or Obsidian
- Add files to a flash drive—some of which on the market are under $10 and have an attached keyring, so you can add it to your keys and always keep it with you
- Doubling the flash drives adds only a few extra seconds, but if one ever gets lost or damaged, you’ll still have the other
- Directly on your computer’s hard drive, in a special file folder
- Add files to an external hard drive
Bonus: Join The Write Gym
We believe every writer has a story to tell and a unique voice the world is waiting for. But the path of a writer is often paved with challenges. Distractions, rejection, self-doubt, writer’s block, imposter syndrome, resistance, and a lack of structure can make the journey feel impossible. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed and wondered if you’ll ever be able to finish projects or write consistently, you’re not alone.
It’s hard not to let writing obstacles get in the way of your mindset. It’s hard not to get to the point where you stop writing because you’re asking yourself, Is this even worth it anymore?
At Writer’s Atelier, we understand the stumbling blocks writers face. That’s why our founder, Racquel Henry created The Write Gym, a comprehensive group accountability and coaching program to help you overcome these obstacles. Our program is designed to provide the support, guidance, and structure you need to build a long-term writing career.
