new year, new energy?

as promised, i will be making some changes to the blog this year. this week, i will kind of outline what it's going to look like--the posts will help clarify some of what i have been processing and illustrate the direction i am heading (with life, with the blog...).

last year, my personal focus was on being less complacent about life. i think i did pretty well (with some obvious epic fails scattered throughout)--i grabbed hold of opportunities; i had challenging conversations with people; i made some big life decisions. so taking that a [pretty scary] step forward, my personal focus this year is to be more intentional. i want to apply that focus to everything, but my writing and what i am doing with it are a huge part of it. you'll hear more about that later in the week.

so why a new blog style?

• it will be action-oriented. i need things to work toward; i need specific guidelines and deadlines in order to be most productive and efficient.
• i am lazy. i am not naturally self-motivated at all. this new style will kick my butt.
• this will challenge me creatively, and that is a very good thing.
• this is a year where i am going to [finally] get serious about my writing. (please hold the applause. your shared joy is enough for me.)
• i want to continue to be vulnerable and share more of my world and heart. sometimes i forget that not everyone actually knows what i am doing with my days; my hope is that you will have a better feel for that as the weeks and months go by.

here's a preview of the week to come:

tuesday: my new blogging schedule
wednesday: my writer's credo
thursday: my goals for writing in general as well as writing on the blog
friday: capture the moment

i'd love your feedback as the week goes on (and further in the future, of course).

btw, i don't think i mentioned it, but i posted another chapter(ish) of my book.