By Bethany Jett, @BetJett

The new year brings with it feelings of expectation and excitement. The air seems fresher, the grass seems greener, at least, here in Florida where snow is just a beautiful white ground covering you see in movies but never experience, and it’s almost like we get a do-over.

A new opportunity to reinvent ourselves.

The chance to turn the page and see blank white space craving for us to write down our stories. And perhaps miswrite the year for the next thirty days as we transition our brains to write 2018 instead of 2017!

Now that we’re past the first full week of January, I wonder how many of us are feeling like we’ve already failed. Have we reached our high-aimed goals of working out every day, cutting out sugar in our diets, reading our Bibles every morning, having a FlyLady shined sink each night before going to bed, plus writing goals: turning in proposals, sending query letters, completing a word count to meet a publishing deadline, or even mustering the courage to start typing the first word of a new project?

We mustn’t let ourselves feel discouraged because we don’t have to wait for a new year, new quarter, or new month to start over. The Bible says that God’s mercies renew every morning (see Lamentations 3:22). Honestly, we can choose at any point in the day to have a “start over” or re-do, and we always have the option to work towards the goal even if we don’t make it all the way.

If you don’t make it to the gym today, take a walk around the block and try again tomorrow. If you only hit 300 words instead of 500, it is better than not writing anything.

Personally, I have the hardest time with this advice.

If I can’t do something all the way, I hesitate to start it at all. I see this in action in small things, like the laundry. If I can’t get the clothes from washer to dryer to basket to dresser, I’d rather wait than have the process stopped in the middle. Yet, this practice doesn’t help my family; it only builds up the work if I can’t get to it. The lesson I’ve learned is that if I start a project (laundry in this example), I can ask for help when needed. If the laundry is washed and dried, my husband and kids can jump in and finish the task.

While this doesn’t always work in reference to writing, I’ve found that if I start or delegate projects that people can help with, it opens time for me to work on the things that only I can do. Like finish a proposal or craft a storyline.

My encouragement to you today is two-fold. First, make a list of the tasks you need done and delegate what you can. Second, start on your to-do list even if you don’t complete the task. Sometimes a small win of starting can spur you on the next day. It definitely helps the procrastination blues and is a great lesson for us as we have the triple threat of a new year, new month, and new day.

God bless you on your journey

Award-winning author Bethany Jett is the Co-Owner of Serious Writer Academy, and Vice President of Platinum Literary Services where she specializes in marketing, nonfiction proposal creation, ghostwriting, and developmental editing. She is currently pursuing her Master of Fine Arts degree in Communication: New Media and Marketing.

Bethany is a military spouse, momma-of-boys, suspense-novel junkie who describes herself as “mid-maintenance” and loves cute shoes and all things girly. Check her out at bethanyjett.com, catch her live on Writers Chat every Tuesday morning, and follow her across all social media: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | LinkedIn | Snapchat: @bethanyjett.