In years past I’ve made resolutions. At the start of 2020 I shifted a bit and set a few goals that I mostly achieved, despite the dumpster fire last year turned out to be. But after surviving a difficult year I wasn’t sure that making resolutions was what I needed. Nor was I keen on declaring my new goals – I’m constantly working on things so why be dramatic and declare them? Then while scrolling through Twitter, I saw a post by Meg Pillow, a writer I follow.

I kept thinking about this, the idea of choosing a word for the year and then letting it guide you. The more I thought about it, the more I loved it. After a bit of thinking, I have decided this is what I plan to do from now on – choose a word at the start of the year and have it be my guiding word. For 2021, my word is success.

I’m working on a few things in my professional life. I’ve launched and independent poetry press, Riot in Your Throat, and am reading the manuscripts from the first open submission period. My second full length collection of poetry is looking for a home and I know this is the year it will find one. In all of these things, I want success. And so this year will be about focusing on the tasks, work, effort, and energy I need to put in to achieve success in these areas. It won’t be easy, but I’m ready for it.