New Years Resolutions for Artists

It's that time of year again.

A year ago, I made a New Years resolution to start a blog to discuss Magic the Gathering, the Standard Pauper format, the fantasy genre, and writing. A year later, having celebrated over 100 posts for 2013, I would have to say that I met that resolution with flying colors.

Which brings me to the first of a two-part post for 2014. What resolution(s) will I make regarding this blog for the upcoming year?

As I was pondering this topic, I came across this excellent blog post by my brother. In case you missed my first post about his work, my brother runs a recording studio in the Nashville area and blogs about the music industry from the perspective of the artist. Anyway, in his final post of 2013, he discussed three ways that artists can make better New Years Resolutions:

1. Create a measurable goal, rather than a vague idea. It should be something quantifiable and something you actually have control over.
2. Rather than creating a bunch of different goals, focus on one goal that addresses what really matters. This also frees you from having to keep track of a bunch of different goals.
3. Find someone who has the experience or resources you'll need to accomplish your goal. Rather than finding yourself frustrated in February, tap into the accountability and encouragement that others can bring to what you're trying to accomplish.

My brother ends with a great reminder:

Nailing your new years resolutions feels great, but it never comes cheap. 

You’re gonna miss some great television. You may have to skip some happy hours. And don’t get me started on sleep deprivation.

But it really does feel great when it happens.

So, with that in mind, I will be back later this week with my resolution for Writer Adept for 2014.