My New Year’s Resolutions Post of Awesome

I don’t usually do resolutions. I don’t think that they are healthy. I set goals. Specific, measurable, mostly attainable goals. But this year, I considered that I want to change my behavior and that means setting some not so specific goals (i.e. resolutions).

But this year, J.A. Konrath did a blog post on all his resolutions since 2006. It’s interesting reading. i don’t normally read that blog because I don’t like his style and there are certain fundamental things that I don’t believe that he’s right in. But this particular post is smart and got me thinking. So with respect to Konrath, I’m going to borrow a couple of his resolutions this year, because i think by following them, I’ll become a better person as well.

Resolution #1: I Will Help Other Writers

I’ve made writing posts in the past about my process and how to do things. I always feel weird doing them because I still feel as if I’m learning myself. But I realize that as I learn things, I can share that with others. If I have success, what harm does it do for me to show others how to do it too? And if I fail, the least I can do is warn others.

Writing can be a very solitary endeavor, but it doens’t have to be. There’s nothing wrong with sharing sales numbers or how many books they’ve moved and what affected their sales. I will always opt to be transparent. While I might not share actual dollar amounts, I’m okay with sharing how many books I sell and why.

I like this quote from Konrath’s blog: Self-publishing is an open source project. Add to the database.

Resolution #2: I Will Experiment.

You have no idea how hard this is for me. I’m the control freak. I am the one that needs the sure thing. Experimenting will be super hard for me.

But at the same time I keep an open mind to new things. The goals I’m setting this year aren’t easy. I’m embarking on a journey about an industry that I’ve never seen the back rooms for. I’ve never toured the kitchen for this restaurant. But I have studied. I feel like I’m educationally ready to make this leap this year.

I will be the one this year that is actively trying new and different things.

But I’m still afraid.

Resolution #3: I Will Control My Fear

Experimentation is important. The thing I have to remember this year is that there will always be doubt and uncertainty. There will always be a little bit of luck to be successful.

I refuse to let my fear own me this year.

Honestly, this goes for more than just writing. It goes for my personal life as well. It goes for my graphic design business. It’s so easy for me to be frustration and envious. Jealousy rears its head so often. I’m happy for my friends yet I would love to have their success.

The thing about fear is that it’s so easy to succumb to it. Success is hard. Failure will happen. It’s part of the process. My dad always says that nothing worthwhile is ever easy. The difference between someone who is successful and someone who is not is that successful people persevere.

When the 15 minutes of fame is done…

Sales go down. That’s okay. Sales fluctuate. That’s just how the sales industry is, particularly the retail. Sure, the stores try to control it by introducing Black Friday or Cyber Monday. Here in Texas, we have a Tax Free Weekend, in which we don’t have to pay sales tax for three days on back to school items.

But what those businesses understand is that while they can stimulate when people shop, selling is a marathon. It’s not a sprint. As long as we write awesome books, we’ll find readers. We’re part of something big here.

So this comes back to controlling that fear. This will be the hardest thing I do all year. In writing, in my personal life, in my designs. The fear will always be there. I’m not going to let it rule me anymore.

To a fantastic 2013

2012 was kind of a bitch to me. It surpassed the crappy years I’ve had in a lot of ways. I’m pretty determined not to let that happen again.

This is the year I become independent and happy.