My daughter over the holidays (having just scooped up a book sent by a publisher as a present for me), said, “you’ve had a great writing year.”

“Just a normal year,” I said.

But she disagreed, and began listing various things I’d done in 2015. She’d been paying attention, apparently, and she has a frighteningly good memory.

By the time she was through, I was forced to agree that it had been a great year. Which made me think that too often, we spend our time looking for the next accomplishment. I’ll feel like a success once I have a book published. I’ll feel like a success once I’m offered a bigger advance. I’ll feel like a success once I have an agent. Of course, as soon as we have any of these things, we immediately look to the next.

So, before making any resolutions this year, I suggest we take the advice of my 11-year-old, and spend a few moments celebrating the accomplishments of 2015. We probably all achieved more than we remember.

THEN, we pop the champagne. Happy old year, all, and happy new!