There were a number of happy things about the recent holidays for me, and among them was reading all of the Harry Potter books again, from start to finish. It took a long time, but was a delightful exercise in experiencing something old in a new way. Some books I’d read multiple times; some only once. Years separated reading each book before, just as years have changed me since my last reading of them.
Not on my list; also, editing aspirations
There are exactly four things on my 2014 Goals list. I’m not going to share them, (because why would anyone else care about my goals for myself?), but in the process of making it as concise as possible, I went through an interesting exercise. Though ruthless editing is a part of everyday life as a writer, it felt very different to be editing myself, or, at least, my aspirations for myself over the next year.
When editing a story, every single world needs to be there for a reason. If a story can survive the loss of any extra anything, it’s cut. Applying that process to life goals was helpful in a way that I’m hoping will make the entire next year more efficient and clear. Here are a few of my first draft goals that I cut and the reasons I let them go:
Making lists, erasing lists
Tis the season of lists, is it not? It begins in December with a barrage of lists summing up the year coming to a close, as well as projections for what’s to come in the next. Just as that starts to peter out, we start getting the lists of goals, new habits and tasks. Lists, lists, lists! As far as the eye can see and the interwebz can access!
Natalie Burg 