Looking Back, Looking Forward
By Joan Raymond, Writers of Kern (Bakersfield) Branch
January 2017. It seems so long ago. I wrote down goals and had high hopes of all the things I’d accomplish by the end of this year. My goals included: Complete my M.A. Finish my novel. Get an agent. Get published. Be hired as an adjunct professor. Dandy goals to work toward.
Today is December 6, 2017. As I look back, I’ve completed two of those goals – earning my M.A. and finishing my first novel. But, in retrospect those were the only goals I had complete control over. While the other three depended on me reaching out, I couldn’t make an agent, publishing contract, or adjunct position happen.
If you are like me, you’ve also written down goals you hoped to achieve this year. And if you’re looking back wondering where the time went and why more didn’t happen, take heart. Looking back at what didn’t happen isn’t the way to end the year. It’s not only discouraging, but it’s counter-productive. Looking back at what DID happen is more productive and encouraging.
I decided to make my own WHAT I DID list, and was surprised by how much I had accomplished. I found many of the things I did weren’t on my Goals list, but happened because I had control to make them happen and those new things led to bigger accomplishments.
For example, last January I signed up for a children’s picture book class and joined an online picture book writers’ critique group. Because of that, I wrote four picture book manuscripts and I am within a few chapters of completing my first middle grade manuscript. Along with that, I attended two children’s writing conference, and two of my picture book manuscripts were critiqued by agents/editors. I completed my first women’s fiction novel, a manuscript I started over five years ago. I completed my M.A. in Creative Writing/English. I taught a creative writing class at Bakersfield College through the Levan Institute, and went on to teach that class online four more times in 2017.
Looking back at what I DID accomplish amazes me. I never set goals to attend the conferences or write the manuscripts, or teach the creative writing classes, but they happened because I pushed myself out of my comfort zone. And, looking at what I DID, brings the most important into focus, while the DIDN’Ts faded away and stopped discouraging me.
If you’re in a similar place, take some time to write down what you DID accomplish. Focus on what got you there and how those accomplishments turned into actions that caused new, exciting successes to happen. Bring the DIDs into focus and congratulate yourself on an amazing, triumphant year.
By focusing on what we DID, it will be easier to look forward to all the wonderful, yet unknown, successes coming in 2018. Happy Holidays!
“Looking Back, Looking Forward” originally appeared as Joan Raymond’s
President’s Message in December 2017’s The Write Way,
the Writers of Kern newsletter.