by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
![Le Stiratrici--Carlo Cressini-1864-1938[3]](http://lh3.ggpht.com/-7blEvhSX3QM/TwDJdfitQII/AAAAAAAADiA/b647tHSnimo/s1600-h/Le%252520Stiratrici--Carlo%252520Cressini-1864-1938%25255B3%25255D%25255B2%25255D.jpg "Le Stiratrici--Carlo Cressini-1864-1938[3]")
Sometimes I think I just like to be contrary.
I’m not at all fond of resolutions.
When other people are making resolutions, I tend to spring clean. And it’s January…not spring. But when it’s spring here, it’s so gorgeous that the very last thing I want to do is clean. So I start out the year cleaning, instead.
I like making goals, but I don’t really need too many resolutions. I’ll write two books by June. I have to write two books by June. No resolution needed.
When I clean up, the aftermath tends to be very refreshing and I feel pleased with myself. When I make resolutions, I tend to feel overwhelmed. Cleaning up is way better.
Since my closet organization methods are probably less than gripping to read about, here are some of my cleaning projects that are slightly more interesting:
Website update: I rarely visit author websites. Because of that, I haven’t placed my own website in very high regard. But when I noticed that Penguin had stopped using my website on promotional materials they sent out about my book launches (!), I realized I needed to do something. Clearly, since they thought my website was too awful to mention on promo!
I transferred my hosting to a free WordPress account and, not having any design skills nor the time to develop any, I quickly set up the website to resemble a blog…which I’m more familiar with. My big thing is that I want to be able to update my website myself…that way I (allegedly) would keep it more up-to-date. :) So I set up these pages: Home, About, Books, Contact, News. I made this website as basic as I possibly could. It’s just a tool, not a work of art.
I was absolutely shocked to find that over 1,000 people had visited my website in a month. Shocked! So…clearly people do check out websites. Think about updating yours. :) The most important thing about a website is that people can learn how to reach you and how to buy your books.
Blog cleaning: After the remarkable success of my website update, I took on the blog. I only, again, wanted to do a little updating. I found that my About Me page was truly awful. So I just copy-pasted the copy I’d just written for the website over to the blog. Much better. I’d also written a couple of books since the last time I’d updated my Books page, so I updated that, too. And cleaned up some of my blogroll, which had blogs that had long since closed on it. I also cleaned up my sidebar a little (although it’s still cluttered…but hey, I’m a writer. :) Clutter goes with the territory.)
Gmail inbox: Although gmail holds a ton of emails, it really bothered me to see over 6,000 emails in my inbox. Yes. 6,000. Cleaning up was long overdue! I unsubscribed from lists that I rarely read, unsubscribed from several newsletters, and deleted a slew of emails. Some I archived into specific folders. Now it’s much more organized and I feel a lot more on top of it all.
I do plan on assessing what I want to do with the rest of my year…in June. :) That’s when I’ll probably have a little more time to look at where I am. Do you like resolutions? Or do you find other ways to challenge yourself, instead?
I’d rather clean than face “things” too. That’s why I have a super clean house most of the time.
I call my resolutions goals because I want to be different-you know not like everyone else. Ha.
T
Elizabeth – It sounds as though you’ve been doing a lot of sprucing up. And thanks for mentioning your author website. I have to start thinking about that… I’m not much of a one for making resolutions, actually. Too often other things happen that get in the way. But I do set goals for myself, and that often helps me keep focused.
I’m not making any resolutions this year, either. Instead, I’m focusing on developing some better lifestyle routines. And I’m “spring cleaning,” too! Thanks for all your practical suggestions.
6,000 emails? Really? Oh my God. I am not into resolutions either, since I broke the one I made before midnight on NYE. I love cleaning out stuff and ridding myself of clutter. Sounds like all the things you do will be very beneficial this coming year. Happy New Year, Elizabeth.
Karen
Holy crap. Two books by June??? I bow to the master. (mistress?) Starting out a new year with a clean, organized house just plain feels good. (Who cares if the shiny new organization is kaput by Valentine’s Day?)
I am very anti resolution or even posting about goals. The goal are there, in my head, and I live them week to week. I do enjoy reading the year in review posts though. Those are fun!
This is when I do my spring cleaning too. Not because it is nice here in the spring – au contraire – it is horribly wet and cold – but because I like the place good in the winter when we do the most hosting of gatherings and spend the most time indoors…
I like it!
I really, really, really need a new website. I started one with WordPress and gave up when I’d gotten nowhere in about three hours.
HELP!
Terry
Terry’s Place
Romance with a Twist–of Mystery
Every year…drink more water. Every year around March. I really need to drink more water. Screaming at myself by June. Drink more water.
Not so much a resolution woman myself.
But I like this. I like organizing and planning. Due time I sort through my online sites.
~ Wendy
I need to update a few things on my blog as well. Good time to do that. Funny Penguin wasn’t adding your website to the bookmarks anymore. Glad I don’t have a website because mine would be just as neglected.
I don’t worry resolutions. If I don’t make them I don’t break them. Don’t worry, be happy >:)
Cold As Heaven
Happy New Year, Elizabeth! Very good idea to do spring cleaning. I did a bit of tidying up of the website and blog during year end and I’ve seen more clicks in some of the new links I’ve created. But Gmail, I’m not so sure I know how to fix it. Archiving old emails work? I’ll need to read up on it. I hate their label system and grouping different emails together.
The Spinster’s Vow
I never do resolutions either – just keep moving forward instead! :)
I like your cleaning plan though – may just have to borrow that (although I don’t have/need an author website at this point!) :)
Laura–I love reading those, too!
Journaling Woman–Cleaning is MUCH better! I really do love to clean. I should do more of it! :)
Margot–I had no idea people went to websites! Such a surprise…
Jan–It’s much more fun to clean in the winter, isn’t it? I usually only have pint-sized or teenage guests, but good point on that, too! Entertaining sure is easier without the clutter.
Wendy–Oh…drink water. Yes! I need to do that, too. And maybe exercise. Maybe drink water WHILE I exercise…
Pam–Hope they work for you!
Karen–Isn’t that nuts? And that was just something like 8 months worth. I’ve got to stay on top of that stuff better. Isn’t cleaning up fun?
Alex–It was a little embarrassing when I realized that! That’s pretty bad. They only listed my blog.
Susan–Yeah, I try not to think of that and panic. Ha! It usually takes me about 2-3 months to write a book…as long as everything goes smoothly. Let’s hope it does!!
Terry–This is a great post, that might help you out: http://www.passiveincomeauthor.com/how-to-set-up-a-professional-author-website-in-minutes/
Cold As Heaven–So we’ll be ahead of the game!
Enid–The archiving worked well for me….except then I couldn’t figure out how to SHOW the archived material! Now I do–you just click “All Mail” and even the archived stuff shows up.
You know, I’ve been doing this for two full years now and find that I am in a seemingly continuous state of re-evaluation.
Time is of the essence with an 11-hour day job, so I really need to figure out what works and what does not. The stuff that works, you keep doing; the stuff that is half-way working, you give a bit more energy; and the stuff that falls flat gets disposed of. Having written that, I don’t need the calendar to read January for me to make changes.
Congrats on making those changes that work for you and much success with them.
-Jimmy
I’ll do almost anything to get out of housecleaning, but since I can’t afford a maid, I really need to declutter, especially my office. I can hardly walk through the room without tripping on a pile of “stuff.” :)
Gosh, I need your oomph!
Not really a resolution type, but I do have a couple this year.
To get my book out there, to lose a few pounds and to have a clean up around the home. The ‘throw it away’ sort of thing.
Happy New Year, Elizabeth.
Great ideas. I try to manage my email and keep important messages in relevant folders. I need to do some maintenance on my website and blog, too. Mostly, I need to declutter my environment and eliminate as many distractions as possible so that I can focus on what’s important: the writing and promotion of my books.
Great ideas. I try to manage my email and keep important messages in relevant folders. I need to do some maintenance on my website and blog, too. Mostly, I need to declutter my environment and eliminate as many distractions as possible so that I can focus on what’s important: the writing and promotion of my books.
That’s the beauty of the writer’s life. We can do whatever we want and whatever works for us.
I’ve dropped the idea of resolutions and instead think of them as ‘intentions.’ It may just be semantics but it sounds more mindful and not loaded with the negative connotations of resolutions. Let’s see if that makes a difference in my output!
Excellent “spring” cleaning tips. Seriously, 6,000 messages! Holy smokes!
It’s summer where I live so cleaning is what I do. The house, the garden, my computer and my study. You have prompted me to get started.
I’m late reading this post, but I had to comment, since I’m about to do some January/spring cleaning myself. I thought I was a mess with 900 emails in my inbox, so you made me feel better :-) Thanks!