PreResolutions of 2026

If you are anything like me, you probably spend every New Year's Eve toasting the future year, dreaming of all the possibilities, contemplating all the things you will accomplish in the coming year. You pad your New Year’s Resolutions, giddy at the thought of all the glorious success you will have.

Then, at some point in the consequent year, a sense of panic sets in as you consider the lost months. You consider all that you could have done, and the list of accomplishments pales in comparison to the list of unfinished and abandoned projects.

The thought of the 2025 ending turns my stomach. My wasted potential–particularly the days spent laying in bed depressed, or bored swiping on social media–weigh heavily on me.

So let’s buoy our spirits, folks. Instead of waiting until December 31, 2025, to post our lofty plans for 2026, let’s brainstorm what we can execute in the roughly 50 days left we have of 2025.

I will add for myself that there is no need to go big and high-minded here. Small incremental steps–baby steps if you will–may put you on the path to ending the year feeling joyous at any small achievement you can manage. Let’s salvage what we can of the time we have left. Anything small should and will be celebrated. Feel free to add your own PreResolutions in the comments, and I personally will pray for each of you to meet your goals in the next 50 days as I attempt to meet my own.

Here are the small writing goals I have set for myself until January 1, 2026. I am posting them here in the hopes my dear Vocal writing community might keep me accountable. I hope to check back at the end of the year to see how helpful this exercise has been.

1) Working on my novel for one hour a day (a rebellious NaNoWriMo attempt)

I will work for one hour a day on my novel that has about 30,000 words. This is not a legalistic endeavor. I won’t be paying much attention to the word count as I type away for one hour a night (At least I surmise it will be at night as my most productive writing time is from 10 PM to 3 AM local time.) The goal is as follows. Butt in chair, writing what I can with no permittance of social media checking, for one hour. Dedicating one hour a day to characters I love is a reasonable goal.

2) Posting two pieces a week here on Vocal

I have been for some time wanting to write more nonfiction pieces like this one. I also have had plans to write movie reviews and book reviews. Whining about the world of dating apps. Discussing creative processes. Once again, I will not view this legalistically, because that often dampens my spirits. But the thought here is to have one nonfiction piece and one fiction or poetry piece every week. This is a reasonable goal, since I usually attempt a weekly challenge as a way to write out of my comfort zone.

3) Outlining the episodes of my comedy tv show

I have a comedy tv show that I’ve been dreaming and scheming about for ages. About a year ago, I charted four seasons with forty episodes, complete with titles and brief synopses. The pilot is written (poorly, lying wild and waste at the moment, waiting for me to sculpt it and bring it forth from chaos). But I began outlining each episode, and I found that it took less time than anticipated. One episode outline took about an hour if I forced myself to be still and dedicate the time. This is a very reasonable goal, as two episodes of forty are already completed.

4) Investing in the writing community here

I have met some wonderful people here on Vocal who are excellent, creative writers in their own right. Writing is a lonely activity; what better way to lessen the loneliness than to connect with other writers and share in their triumphs. This is a reasonable goal, as I look forward to an excuse to sit down and read pieces here, celebrating your successes and becoming a more frequent consumer of great art.

5) Enduring

2025 has not been a kind year to me. Not in the slightest. My personal life, my mental and emotional well-being, and my spiritual state are all simultaneously piled under mountains of ash, and the fires that reduced them to that state are still ongoing and unrelenting.

If you have had the year that I have had, you have my full sympathy. And if you got out of bed this morning (even if you didn’t, and you laid in bed with a book), if you managed the bare minimum of behaving as a mature adult (even if you stomped around and yelled at some clouds), go ahead and pat yourself on the back. Someone out in the world cares about you and wants you to succeed. You owe it to yourself to finish the year strong and be proud that you survived.

Give yourself grace, because this world is cruel and unforgiving. It is precisely the state of things that we need your stories out in the world, so that everyone who reads said stories might know they are not alone.

I will take a moment each day for gratitude, something minute like this delicious salted caramel cookie from a Joe Muggs cafe. This cookie was a delightful surprise, a story in itself that will be told at another time. This is a very reasonable exercise, anything to ensure that I will endure until the end.