Happy New Year!

Those who have been following my blog for awhile know that I’m a big goal setter. This year I will be attending, once again, a goal-setting workshop for writers at Lighthouse Writers Workshop in Denver. You can read about my impressions of last year’s workshop in a January post last year called At the Core of Our Resolutions. I’m excited to see how things go for me this year!

In the last few months, I’ve been hearing about setting intentions instead of goals. As a writer who agonizes over the “right” word in my work, this intrigued me. For me, intending to do something has the force of sureness behind it–basically a given–and implies action and forward motion.

I love what Mike Robbins has to say about it on Oprah.com:  “Is Your Attention on Your Intention? How to Create the Life You Really Want.” All of his points hit home, but one in particular really struck me today, probably because of my experience with my mom and her cancer and how I’m learning to live in the moment.

With goal setting…

“You get too focused on the outcome and forget about the experience.”

I don’t just want to get my next book accepted for publication, I want to enjoy the experience of writing it. I’ve known some writers who were under such tight deadlines that they barely remembered writing the book! It’s a process, a journey, and I don’t want to miss it because I’m only looking at the end result.

My 2015 Intention

I intend to immerse myself in the creative process, enjoying each step, even the ones that are challenging, and revel in my growth as a writer and a person.

What about you?