Stay focused ... but don't beat yourself up

I know this is a time for New Year Resolutions. And, as an author, you may have made some writing goals as part of those resolutions. To help you stay true to the spirit of those resolutions without giving you permission to beat yourself up when life throws you a curveball that makes you stray away from, I give you the following advice:

Stay focused on your writing goals, but don’t be so married to them that they make you feel bad when life gets in the way. Many successful authors tell stories about how they became a success in a surprising way or despite what life threw at them.