I Resolve…

Bogger: Janet Kobobel Grant

Location: Books & Such Main Office, Santa Rosa, Calif.

As I considered my New Year’s resolutions, I realized they looked very different if I thought of them not as “resolutions” but rather in terms of “I resolve.” The word “resolve” has such a solid, resolute sound to it, while a resolution reminds me of having an airy-fairy, flight of fancy regarding what this year should look like. So…

• I resolve to exercise four times per week for a minimum of 30 minutes. (Hmmm, I wonder if licking my fingers after snacking could be included in those 30 minutes.)
• I resolve to look at the world more as my dog, Murphy, does. No, not that I plan to sniff my way along the path of life, but rather that he notes even minute changes when he lopes into a room. He lives life large yet observes the small differences and enjoys exploring whatsoever is new. May I do so as well.
• I resolve to live slower. The momentum of life seems to pick up every year. I want to control my time rather than have “emergencies” rule my world.
• I resolve not to live in fear. Between the decrying of the economic situation and the fragility of life, it’s easy to run on the adrenaline of fear. I choose not to let that be the sum of my 2009.

Here are the resolute plans of the other Books & Such staff.

Wendy says:

I have three pages (yep, three full pages) of goals for 2009—spiritual, personal and professional milestones and goals. I love a brand new year! It’s a chance to start all over again. I always analyze my goals from the previous year. For 2008 I successfully met or exceeded 62% of my goals, made good progress on 15% of my goals and [gulp] failed to meet 23% of my goals. So 2009 challenges me to better my averages. I’ve resolved to:

• Eat less
• Laugh more
• Work smarter
• Dream harder

Etta resolves to:

• Pretend I’m playing checkers as I try to keep up with who’s at what publishing house and what kind of project they currently want. The trick is to make kings (should I say queens?) as quickly as possible and get those royalties moving!
• Be alert for new opportunities for authors to be published in the midst of change. I may present manuscripts for kids books on sand buckets or snow shovels, and suggest to editors adult romances with free sachet packets.

• PUSH! This acronym for Pray Until Something Happens is one I look at every day on my schedule, and I usually have a lot of “somethings” to pray about and to offer thanks for.

Rachel resolves to:

• Use my gym membership. The card looks nice in my wallet, but I’m pretty sure it has some purpose.
• Keep a calendar. I’ve been able to use post-it notes for a long time, but it’s starting to get difficult to keep them organized.
• Have an empty email in-box at least once a month.

Kathleen says:

• Yearly goal: To be more conscious and purposeful in allowing God to fill or clear my calendar by seeking Him first daily in a scheduled quiet time.
• Monthly goal: To read one fiction and one nonfiction title in addition to client books
• Daily goal: To keep to a daily schedule that includes time for prayer, exercise, and reading
• Prayer goal: To pray more “in the moment” (meaning do it right then rather than promise someone to pray for them)

Michelle resolves to:

• Try to be an encouragement in 2009 to my family, friends, colleagues, and the rest of the world.
• Finish the rewrite of my own novel, and start the next one in an organized fashion, for once.
• Listen more, advise less.
• Expect positive results, because my whole life is in God’s hands–and I will trust Him.

And what about you? Go ahead, tell us: What do you resolve?