Happy New Year!

I don’t know about you, but 2016 snuck up on me out of nowhere. 2015 just swept by while I wasn’t paying attention, I guess. But now that it’s the first day of a new year, this is when we normally sit down and make those resolutions we struggle to work towards and then usually blow them off before January even has a chance to come to an end. So this year, instead of making resolutions, how about making goals? We’re not talking the usual resolutions that are nice and vague like “I will exercise more.” No, we’re talking hard core goals that you can actually achieve. Maybe it’s something as simple as, “I will walk around the block every day.” That’s simple and easy, and as you do it every day, it soon becomes a habit.

So, let’s sit back and look at our writing and reading goals. I personally joined a challenge to write 1,000 words a day. I know I can generally write that many words in an hour if my brain is cooperating. Some days it’s easier than others, but I do know I can achieve it. I have the hope of putting out a book this year, so writing every day will help me achieve that goal. Though I already know I have 2 and maybe 3 major things happening this year that might sidetrack me, if I can establish the habit of writing before they do, then it should be a lot easier to climb back on the writing horse when they’re done. 

Of course, I’m a reviewer, so I also have to have reading goals. Instead of making random goals of, “I will read all of the books on my ‘to be read list’ by the end of the year”, make it easier to achieve. We have to admit that our TBR lists are constantly growing. I know mine is and I can’t be alone in that. So, I have to cut back a bit and make it more attainable so I don’t give up. I probably have more time to read than a lot of people, so you should come up with your own goals. But I would like to throw a challenge at you.

The challenge is to read and review 10 books this year. If they’re written by indie authors, even better! Indie authors depend on those reviews to bring in more readers and more sales. There are so many good ones out there that are waiting to be discovered. So, are you brave enough to take that challenge? Can you find and read 10 books by indie authors and leave them a review? It’s a tiny goal, not even a book a month. And yet, that review you leave can mean the world to another person, especially if you liked it. Remember, write the review as if you were telling your friend why they would like to read it or not like to read it. You don’t want to spoil it for them, but still convey why they should pick it up or ignore it. Be kind if it's negative, but remember, negative reviews aren't bad.

So go forth! Create goals this year instead of resolutions you feel comfortable breaking. Pick things that mean a lot to you and you want to achieve. Then create the steps you need to achieve them. Make 2016 a year to remember.