Post-Holiday Plan for Writers

If you're like me in the wake of Christmas, you've passed along more presents than you can count, eaten more cookies than you can count, and gained more pounds than you even want to know.

Not to mention most of us set aside our writing (or at least scaled back) during this season so we could enjoy time with friends and family.
But as the holidays come to a close, it's time to re-motivate and refocus. I know, I know. It's just as painful for me as it is for you. (Anyone getting flashbacks to childhood lectures from Mom and Dad?)

Here are a few tips to help us battle the post-holiday blahs.

1) Write down a plan. Evaluate your schedule and make realistic goals based on the time you have. Don't try to be Super-Writer here. Look at your pre-holiday schedule and pattern your new one after it, with a little extra challenge thrown in for good measure.

2) Look at your goals and pick one to work on first. Alley pal Keli Gwyn had an awesome post about the concept of going singular when you work toward your goals. To read her wise words, go here.

3) Keep yourself healthy. Y'know those extra pounds I talked about at the beginning? They're going to weigh you down, both physically and mentally. And that means you'll be less effective in working toward your writing goals.

I plan to do a cleanse and detox at the beginning of the new year to rid myself of all the junk I've consumed over the holidays. You don't have to go that extreme, though. Just getting up and exercising a little bit every day will clear your brain of the post-Christmas cobwebs. Grab an apple instead of a Snickers, and you'll be another step closer to working at your best.

4) Enlist support. Accountability isn't a new concept, but how many of us actually do this? Whether it's enlisting support in our health goals or in our writing goals, we're much more likely to succeed if we know someone is breathing down our necks...er, checking in on us...once a week, or whatever timeline we choose.

So who's with me on this? Anyone care to share your goals for 2012? What's your post-holiday plan?

*Cookie photo by Paul / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
**Diary photo by Idea go / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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Sarah Forgrave is a stay-at-home writer-mom who feels blessed to pursue her calling and passion. She writes contemporary romance for the inspirational market and is a regular contributor to the webzine Ungrind.

To learn more about Sarah, visit her personal blog at:
http://www.sarahforgrave.com/blog