Things not to concern yourself with in 2013: 

Criticism

How well other writers are doing compared to you

How old you are getting

Whether you are fulfilling the promise you showed as a young person

The number of publications you have

The number of books your are selling 

The number of views your blog is getting

The number of pages you wrote that day

The number of words you wrote that day

Numbers

Things to concern yourself with now and always: 

Are there fresh flowers on your desk?

Do you have a cup of steaming tea in front of you?

Is there a pot of soup on the stove?

Do you love someone? 

Is there chocolate in the house? 

Things to Do This Year:

Listen to the beauty of words.

Write without expectation.

Relax. 

Take time to daydream.

Have wine with friends. Or a cold beer. Or cake.

Stare at something for a long time. Something seemingly simple. Something that looks boring at first. A stone, for example. A gray stone is best. One that looks perfectly ordinary at first glance. The longer you look, the more color you will see. The more intricate it will become. Eventually, it will show itself to be infinitely complex.

Learn from your cat. How she is always present. How she peers intently. How she can just sit and be. Frogs work, too.

Stretch.

Walk.

Watch TV and don’t feel guilty about it.

Sing even if you don’t think you can.

As Rumi said, sell your cleverness and buy bewilderment.

Have a happy New Year.