Resolutions by Kimila Kay

I’m a goal setter, but not always a goal achiever. And not from lack of desire or ambition. A conundrum that challenges me at the beginning of each new year.

A recent Facebook meme not only made me laugh, but also made me curious about the definition of “Resolution”. The quote was, “I’m thinking of opening a gym this week called “Resolutions”. In six months, it will turn into a bakery.”

 

The definition of Resolution is: A firm decision to do something. As in I want to publish two novels in 2023!

 

How to reach a Goal is described as: Set specific goals, have a plan of action, list steps to complete each goal, DO NOT be passive.

 

Another Facebook cartoon showed a large dog asking a smaller one, “What exactly is a New Year’s resolution?” To which the smaller pup answered, “It’s a ‘To Do’ list for the first week of January.”

 

Hysterical and unfortunately true but made me think about my most recycled Resolution ‘Lose Weight’. Did I fail to achieve this resolution each year because I didn’t set specific goals with a plan to balance diet and exercise? Obviously, I need to reinvent my strategy to ensure success, so my Resolutions don’t become words that just form a wish list.

 

As a writer, I always have a plan for my current work in progress, which generally includes a dedicated time block. With tasks ranging from writing to editing or research and plot development. Where I struggle is accomplishing the goal attached to a particular task. Of course, I blame my day job or laundry or my husband or, my favorite, happy hour with my girlfriends for my failure.

 

This year, I have decided to write and publish two novels. Both books are already ten chapters in, and so far, resonate with the promise of a good story. I desperately want to complete this resolution and my determination led me to self-analyze why past goals found themselves stacked in the recycle bin, waiting to be repurposed once again each year on January 1^st.

 

I absolutely love everything about writing, whether it’s a blog, short story, or book. It sends me over the moon when I meet my readers or receive raving reviews for my books. And even more important, accolades from other authors. I love the process of being a writer. Now equipped with Google knowledge, I’m confident my new novels, Vanished in Vallarta and Redneck Ranch, will be finished products by October 2023, just in time for the holiday shopping season.

 

It’s a brand new year, all shiny with possibilities and begging for a new list of Resolutions. What’s yours? My list is short:

 

Implement the strategy of using Goals to achieve my Resolutions

Lose weight (With my new wisdom, I feel obligated to include this illusive challenge)

Finish writing and publishing Vanished in Vallarta and Redneck Ranch

 

Easy Peasy! Happy New Year!

Kimila Kay lives in Donald, Oregon along with her husband, Randy, her adorable Boston Terrier Maggie, and a feisty black cat named Halle.

Her professional accomplishments include three anthologized essays in the CUP OF COMFORT series. Kimila is currently a member of Windtree Press, Northwest Independent Writers Association (NIWA), and Willamette Writers.

VANISHED IN VALLARTA (10/2023) is the third novel in cross-cultural series that now includes Peril in Paradise, Book One, and Malice in Mazatlán, Book Two. The series will also include Chaos in Cabo, Lost in Loreto, and Fiasco in Peñasco.

REDNECK RANCH (10/2023) is the first book in the Stoneybrook Mystery Series, which is set in a fictional town in Oregon.

KIMILA KAY, AUTHOR
author@kimilakay.com