New Year’s Resolutions

Captain's Log, Stardate 01.06.2009

I don’t know why people don’t like making New Year’s Resolutions. I love it! I don’t always keep them, but I like making them.

Camy’s Resolutions for 2009:

1. Lose weight. I say this every year, but somehow this year it’s been sticking more. I want to lose 15 pounds by May 1st.

I started exercising 30 minutes everyday starting December 5th and only skipped 3 days so far (for Christmas). It’s mostly been walking the dog, but I’m pretty happy I’ve kept it up. I think this is the longest I’ve consistently exercised.

This month, I started tracking what I ate and I’m appalled at the calorie count each day. The sad thing is, when I try to eat less, I’m still hungry, so I guess I need to reduce my portions more slowly so I don’t feel so deprived. Eventually I’ll get used to the portions and not feel hungry.

I also want to exercise 30 minutes a day at least 5 days a week, even if it’s only walking the dog.

2. Read more. I’m woefully behind on reading my Love Inspired Suspense novels (I get them as ebooks on Fictionwise.com) and there are tons of books I want to read but haven’t made time to do it. So I want to try to read a book every week.

3. Stick to some solid writing goals. Pam Hillman did some great, specific goals separated by quarter, so I’m going to do the same:

1st Quarter:
1. Finish line edits for Deadly Intent, due January 7th (yes, that’s tomorrow).
2. Write proposal for next romantic suspense novel.
3. Complete Marketing Info Sheet for The Year of the Dog by March 1st.
4. Coordinate the American Christian Fiction Writers 2009 Genesis contest for unpublished writers.
5. Prepare for my HeadStart mentoring group for Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference. (If you’re a beginning writer, and if you can swing the cost of the conference, the HeadStart program is a great way for new writers to get all the information they need to jump start their writing career. Learn from my mistakes!)

2nd Quarter:
1. Finish writing The Year of the Dog by May 1st.
2. Write my next romantic suspense novel (assuming the proposal is contracted—crossing my fingers).
3. Work on “The Lone Rice Ball,” the fourth book (novella) in my Sushi series (it’ll be available as a free ebook download to members of my newsletter YahooGroup).

3rd Quarter:
1. Launch a website contest to celebrate the release of Deadly Intent.
2. Work on a third novel for the year, whether the next book in my Zondervan contract or a newly contracted novel (again, fingers crossed).
3. Work on a third romantic suspense proposal.
4. Prepare for the 2009 ACFW conference in Dallas, TX (I don't know what I was thinking. It's in Denver, CO this year).

4th Quarter:
1. Write a third romantic suspense novel, assuming the proposal is accepted (see 3rd Quarter).
2. Continue working on third novel (see 3rd Quarter).
3. Brainstorm a new story or novella to offer free to my newsletter YahooGroup subscribers.

Whew! Just looking at that makes me tired.

How about you? What are your goals/resolutions for 2009?