I always count down the remaining months of the year after the school-year for the kids begins.

With less than a handful of holidays left, the days run down quickly and busily; that before you know it, you’re counting down to the new year.

I realized shortly after my son’s birthday that since before his birth, I hadn’t done much of what I wanted, and although I promised myself I would “pick up where I left off” (whatever that means), I haven’t picked up much of anything. I’ve barely picked up my ass to exercise.

So I did what any ambitious, crazy woman would do – and signed up for an accountability project a friend created.

(You know that whole: “Show me your friends and I’ll tell you who you are…” I take that very seriously and even try to emphasize that with my true-Libra teen, who is constantly making “friends” left and right, yet often forget their names.)

The accountability project asked that a group of us – approximately 5 women – select a series of goals that we want to complete by the end of the year.

I picked several items that I’ve sort of been working, or mostly pushing further back down the pipeline on my list. The first – which is the easiest, yet most pressing – is that I create a timeline for a story, brainstorm topics for it and do the research for a story, which I will then submit to an MFA program.

It sounds simple enough, except that I’m very scared – of not doing it.

Because if I can’t do it now, then when and why hold off much longer? And those are questions I don’t really have an answer to, and I don’t want my 75-year-old self to look back on this point now and continue wondering the same.

So the pressure and goal-crushing is on, friends. Wish me luck!

Writing Prompt: Do you have any writing goals you want to complete before the end of the year? What’s stopping you?