What Might the New Year Hold?
Dreams, hopes, wishes, plans — what might the new year hold? When setting forth our goals for the coming year, do we make sure that they are completely attainable? Or do we add a challenge? Do we set the bar so high that we cannot possibly achieve those heights, or do we measure in some realism? I firmly believe that we need to give ourselves something to strive for, something that’s currently beyond our grasp, but that we have a good chance of achieving. Not an assured chance, though. There needs to be some risk involved, as well as opportunity for growth, for stretching of one’s mind and character, and for that wonderful feeling of satisfaction when one at last achieves something that once seemed nearly impossible. As Robert Browning famously said, “Ah, but a man’s reach should exceed his grasp, Or what’s a heaven for?” In my 2012 Goals post, I referenced a blog post by my mentor, Emma Walton Hamilton, about setting goals rather than making resolutions. This year, she has used the word “intention” as her watchword as she considers what she wants to achieve in 2013. Both those posts are worth reading. What goals have I set for myself — in my writing life — for the coming year? What are my intentions? What do I want to strive for, to risk and reach for?