Finnian Burnett

I know people like to start making New Year’s resolutions this time of year. I’ve not been immune to that myself – but over the past few years, I’ve used December as kind of a hibernation month. It’s dark, it’s cold, and I’m on break from both teaching and studenting. (Though, of course, with this being my capstone year, I’m not really on break.) It’s certainly my lightest time of year, workwise, and it’s a great time to reflect on the past year and think about the year ahead.

My wife and I also buy new notebooks in December as a shared Christmas present and a way to start the new year.

Obviously, new pens have to go with that.

Then we pick a day and time, make fresh cups of tea, and sit together to plan for the new year. Since we’re both writers, we make writing goals. But we also make shared house goals, talking about what projects are a priority for each of us. Health/fitness goals, mental health goals.

It all goes into our individual books of plans.

I try not to get over-exuberant with my plans. I want goals that I am likely to accomplish. Sometimes it’s hard to determine what will be the most important. Do I try to write that novel this year? Should I go for another year of 100 rejections? I ended up splitting my writing goals into four categories:

Long-form works

Short-form works

Teaching/presentations

Learning/growing

So, for long-form works, I might have, for example, finishing a zero draft of my next novel, while under learning/growing, I might have “read six craft books” or “take a creativity workshop.”

I also have shared goals with my writing partner, Kimberly Cooper Griffin, both for classes we give together, books we write together, and a self-guided plotting course we’re working on.

It seems like a lot but it feels good to have a plan.

What about you? Any goals/resolutions for 2023? I’d love to hear about them.