As someone who’s easily distracted, I understand the need to stay focused on what’s important (and to remind myself of that truth). A companion of that need is remembering to remind myself.
Like so many others at this time of year, I’m in the throes of project planning and goal setting. The new year brings a blank slate, washed clean of last year’s smudges of failure and lost dreams.
It might seem premature to consider the possibility of obstacles. But we all know they’re there, the key is not to let them distract from what’s truly important. Following a roadmap and tracking milestones seems a sure way to reach a destination.
I’ve added Hannah More’s quote – “Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off the goal.” – to my daily Remember This list, along with Jack Bickham’s “Writers Write. Everyone else makes excuses.”
It’s a new year full of new days and a blank day-week-month planner waiting to be filled. I’m looking forward to the possibilities, all the lessons to be learned and the trails (wild or tame) waiting to be taken.
How about you?
Speculative Fiction Writer
KL Wagoner 
Thanks for some great rules to live by as we go forward into 2019 with more goals than are practical.
You’re welcome, Joyce. You make a good point about overreaching. I have a tendency to do that too, so I’ve tried to be real in my goal setting this year. May you have a prosperous writing year, in every way!
Ah, those obstacles, Kathy. They’re everywhere, aren’t they? Particularly with writing, which takes so much time and focus. I’m trying to see them less as obstacles and more as opportunities – going with the flow, in a way. I wish you a fabulous year of wild and tame adventures in living and writing. :-D
Obstacles can be opportunities to stretch ourselves and grow our persistence-muscles. They can also reveal what’s really important at a particular time (which might not be writing at all, but family or friends). Thank you, Diana, and I hope your year is full of only the good kind of opportunities.