For the last couple of years, instead of making New Year's resolutions, I chose a word to guide me through the year. The only rule I made was that the word had to be an imperative. My word for 2013 was strive. I chose the word thinking of all the things I would be striving toward in 2013:
- eating right
- exercising 5 days a week
- finishing revisions on my novel
- finding a literary agent
- building my savings account
- updating this blog regularly throughout the year
The Universe, however, took my word as a personal challenge. "Strive, you say? I'll give you a reason to strive!" (Can you hear the cackle?)
So as much as I intended to spend 2013 striving toward my big goals, I actually spent most of my time striving against obstacles the Universe hurled in front of me:
- a work slowdown in spring, which led to...
- an income slowdown in summer, which was followed by...
- a seriously ill dog
- a series of broken household appliances
- a car in desperate need of repair
- a flooded laundry room
- a lonely Thanksgiving
Because of those crises, most of the things I was going to strive toward remain out of reach. Revisions on The Novel are nowhere near finished, which means I haven't even started looking for a literary agent. My savings account balance shrank instead of grew. My eating, exercise, and blogging habits have been inconsistent at best. On the plus side, I survived every one of the crises (and so did the dog!), and I am proud and grateful about that.
I have learned something else from this experience, too. I will think carefully about the word I choose for 2014, lest the Universe be tempted once again.