HALF WAY....

Hmm it's that time of the year when, as a writer, I begin to wonder what on earth have I done?
I look at my goals for the year and even though there are notes, perhaps even scratchings on most of them....I'm still wondering what has been accomplished.

My writing group last month also revisited their goals. It was an interesting meeting to hear how some have been working dedicatedly at knocking down their goals, systematically bit by bit. Some knew exactly what they were aiming for and what steps they would have to take to get there.

Others were amazed at how different their actual accomplishments were to the goals they wanted to achieve at the beginning of the year.  And a few, who knew that this year would be unsettled for various reasons and hadn't made any goals were able to think of a few that could be achieved by the end of the year.

But that is what is so fairy floss about goals. They are not set in concrete.  They are too easily moulded and reshaped, and when they become brittle, easily broken.

And even with the best of intentions, life does get in the way.

I've learnt that at this time of the year, not to beat myself over about what I haven't done and to look at what I have. It's always good to see what has been achieved- to acknowledge that some goals were not meant for this year- that as a writer I've made an unexpected turning in another direction.

That's when it's time to have a rethink. To wonder what of the goals to keep, what to tinker with (perhaps a new time line or even direction) and what goals to leave for another year- or perhaps not attempt at all.

It's not giving up.  It's not handing in the towel and saying 'it's too hard'....it's being sensible and constructive. It's knowing what 'problems' or dare I say 'encumbrances' have been thrown in our way. And we all have them. It could be something small that will soon go away, or it could be something major in our lives that will leave little or no time for what we really want to do.

Or it could be as simple as we have moved on. That idea that was so hot and vital at the beginning of the year has now cooled and looks very boring and hohum.

If so- it's time  to move on. Take that goal off the list- think on what you want to achieve and work to that.

It's one step at a time. In whatever direction you want to make.  As long as you are still moving it's all good.

Sometimes we don't even know what the missing piece is until we accidentally trip on it. Land flat on our face and wonder what is at our feet.