December Goals — Write With Intention, Live With Presence

December is a month when too many writers go to war with themselves.

We look at the year, decide we “didn’t do enough,” and suddenly want to finish strong with some massive push… right as the holidays knock every routine sideways.

Then the guilt kicks in.

Not writing enough.

Writing too much and missing family moments.

Either way, we lose.

But if you shift the mindset, December can be a powerful month — not because you grind harder, but because you get clearer and more present.

My daughter just headed back to NYU after Thanksgiving. We had a great visit. I was genuinely present, and I’m grateful for that. Now I’m back at the desk setting my December goals — for the work and for my life — and I want this community thinking the same way.

Here’s the frame:

1️⃣ Pick one North Star for your creative work.

Something meaningful enough that hitting it would feel like a real win. A draft. A rewrite milestone. A character breakthrough. One thing that moves your story forward.

2️⃣ Pick one North Star for your life.

Something simple but intentional: being present with family, slowing down your mornings, protecting one night a week from screens, finishing the year grounded instead of frantic.

Not everything — just one thing that matters.

3️⃣ Break both goals into small, doable moves.

Weekly checkpoints. Daily actions that fit inside December, not some fantasy sprint version of it.

Write a page. Make a call. Take a walk. One beat at a time.

4️⃣ Grant yourself the grace to hold both.

You can honor your work without disappearing into it.

You can show up for your people without abandoning your creative life.

This isn’t a tug-of-war — it’s a rhythm.

So here’s the invitation:

What are your December goals — for writing AND for your life?

Drop them below.

Name the big ones that really matter to you.