January Plans

I’m a big believer in the power of small and simple things. By the yard it’s hard, but by the inch it’s a cinch. A thousand mile journey begins with a single step. (You probably know some proverbs of your own. I bet your mother taught them to you.)

I believe that small, simple goals are the steps to success and that great, big enormous goals are tools of Satan that we use to clobber out all the good feelings in our souls. Which may sound funny coming from a novelist and a marathon runner, but I didn’t sit down and write a novel in one breath and I didn’t run 26 miles the first time I put on my sneakers. I got an idea which I nursed and then wrote about a few hundred words at a time. Nearly every day. And I took A LOT of classes and workshops. Same thing with the marathon (which, by the way, was ten years ago) I ran six days a week and every week I went a little further than the week before. It wasn’t easy. There wasn’t a short cut. I had giant blisters on my feet and lost all of my toenails. (What was I thinking? I’m deviating, back to my point…)

There is an Indian proverb or axiom that says that everyone is a house with four rooms, a physical, a mental, an emotional, and a spiritual. Most of us tend to live in one room most of the time but, unless we go into every room every day, even if only to keep it aired, we are not a complete person.                                                  

 Rumer Godden. A House with Four Rooms

Luke said it this way:

And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.

                                                                                                                                                                Luke 2:52

So as you look at your brand new baby year, consider the four rooms of your life. Take stock. Consider the room that needs airing the most. Which room needs an overhaul and which room could use a little polish and shine. Think in five to ten minute goals, the sort of goals that make you say, easy-peasy. Ten minutes out of a week of 10,080. Think of something small and simple and set a goal. (Remember, big, giant goals are Satan’s weapons used for beating yourself over the head and killing all your hope.)

One of my goals this year is to boost my blog. Today is my very first, How-to-Tuesday.  It will walk hand in hand with Thursdays—Throw-down Thursdays to be exact—the days I will make and share a goal. A ten minute goal.  

Here are some examples of ten minute goals:

Physical

Ten minutes of weight lifting a day

Ten minutes of ab exercises

Ten minutes to massage your feet

Ten minutes to do your nails

Mental

Read a thought provoking book (for just ten minutes every day)

Spend ten minutes virtually traveling

Ten minutes of logic puzzles

Ten minutes of crossword puzzles

Emotional

Write a thank you note

Call a loved one you haven’t seen for a while

Start a gratitude journal

Take a gift to someone having a hard time

Spiritual

Pray

Study scripture

Journal

Listen to inspiring music

Probably after reading this list, you have thought of your own ten minute goals that can make a difference and change your life for good.

Here are my January goals. They aren't ten minutes...but they aren't so radically different from my current days.

January goals:

Promote my blog 5 days a week on Twitter and Pinterest for one hour

Write in 3 hour blocks 5 days a week

Take AMS ads course

Weekly newsletter

If you want to join in and make yourself accountable to 400 something fantastic, friendly followers, leave a comment announcing your goal. If you prefer anonymity, write it down and tuck it in between the pages of a journal. Either one works.