Habits for 2020

In 2020, I plan to focus less on goals and more on habits. I figure consistent effort that I can sustain will matter more than whether I've read so many books or completed a certain number of projects in a year. I have several ideas in mind, but the following are probably the most important to me right now:

• Read 20 pages every day. More is always better, but 20 pages is a reasonable minimum. At that rate, I can get through a 300-page book in 15 days. If it's a book I really like, I'll probably read more and finish it much faster. I'll keep at least one book in my bag so I'll always have something to read when there's time.


• Write for at least 30 minutes every day. For the most part I already do this (and usually put in more than 30 minutes), but I've been slipping lately. Most days I expect to do better than that, but 30 minutes is enough to keep me committed. The word count strategy never worked well for me, because I always stress and over-complicate it. How do I count words when I'm revising something I wrote yesterday? What if I write tons of notes instead? Am I really accomplishing anything if I keep writing useless crap that I end up throwing away just so I can say I met my daily goal? Over time I've found it's better if I keep it simple and just sit down and write for a while.


• Draw something every day. For years now I find myself regretting that I haven't stuck with drawing, and I'd like to change that. Maybe if I keep a sketchbook in my bag and commit to just one doodle a day, I'll develop a habit that I can build on. Right now the point isn't to get good at art or draw anything worth posting; the point is to just get comfortable doing it and see where it goes from there.


• Post to Dreamwidth at least once a week. I haven't had this account for long and already I'm starting to feel weird and self-conscious about it. Which is a bit silly, because it's my online space, right? I came to Dreamwidth because I wanted a low-key place where I could post thoughts and notes about my fanfic, share some things of interest, give people an easy way to contact me if they feel like it, and prove that I'm not dead when I'm slow to finish a new chapter. I shouldn't be afraid to use my own blog for my own purposes. Maybe the more I do it, the easier it will become.