New Year, New Goals, New Post

Another new year is upon us. I, like most people, look at January as a time to make a fresh start, but I don't make resolutions anymore.
This year, I'm making goals for myself. I recently read a blog post by Nina Amir, where she talks about SMART goals and how to ensure your success. You can read the article here.

Source: NinaAmir.com

I've already got a few irons in the fire that will help me toward a more productive 2016.

-I've temporarily stopped querying agents and hired an editor to help me make THE CLOVER KEY a better manuscript.
-I'm setting up a blog calendar for this blog, and I'm in the process of starting a blog for our automotive business.
-The chosen attendees for The Work Conference will be notified on January 15th. I'm nervous and excited for the results, but in the meantime, I'll be working on the second draft of my second novel.
-I know I have to lose weight, get organized, etc, etc, but I'm also working on making time for fun with family and friends.

Baby steps, small attainable goals, and a strong desire to make 2016 productive, happy, and less stressful should help me succeed.

What about you? Do you set goals or make resolutions?

*****

Connect with me on Twitter--Facebook--LinkedIn--Google+--Tumblr

Plus, sign up for e-mail updates from this blog in the top right-hand corner of the page.

*****

Autumn: New Beginnings

Labor Day has come and gone. In my town, that means that the children will be starting school this week, Halloween candy and decorations will be on display in full force, and anyone wearing white shoes will be frowned upon by The Fashion Police. Summer is over. Thankfully, it wasn't too brutal for us here in The Garden State, but I'm still looking forward to hoodies, fall colors, and cooler nights.

As you may know, Autumn is when I feel more productive. Maybe it harkens back to my school days. Every September meant new notebooks, pens, and pencils, a new book bag and pencil case, and of course, new clothes. For me, September was more significant than the New Year. It was a chance to be more organized, to be a better student than the previous year, to make a new beginning.

Not wanting to waste a moment, I smuggled time during the past week to write and submit a short story to a contest. I decided to go all out and spend $10 for the entry fee and an additional $10 for a critique. I haven't written anything since April. To be perfectly honest, I'll be surprised if my story is good enough to earn an honorable mention. So then why did I do it? Because I needed to do SOMETHING. I needed to get back to putting words on a page, and most importantly, I really want the critique. I want to know how I'm doing--whether or not I'm growing as a writer. Unfortunately, I'll have to wait 2 whole months for the list of winners and the judge's notes on my story.

In the meantime, I don't intend to sit on my laurels. (What the heck are laurels, anyway?) I'm going to finish my second novel, dust off my first novel to send to publishers, and write 6 short stories. All before December 31, 2014. It sounds like a lot of work. Considering our repair shop has been steadily busy and leaves no time for writing during the day, it IS a lot of work! I'm prepared to make some changes in how I spend my time at home. I'm up for the challenge.

By the way, I HAD to research the 'laurels' thing. If you're curious, I found this explanation:
Rest on one's laurels

So tell me--do you find that you're more productive during a certain time of year?

Hiatus

(You deserve a break today)

I'm taking a break. I guess they also call it a hiatus. In April, I participated in Robert Lee Brewer's Platform Challenge. (NOTE--If you do not follow Robert's blog, I highly recommend you do.) 

I did the thirty challenges. Well, for the most part. I still haven't done a guest blog or interviewed an expert, but I defined myself, upgraded my blog and Facebook pages, learned a few Twitter tricks, and made lots of new friends who also completed the challenge. Then, my mind shut down. I'm serious. It shut down.

I could blame it on the fact that we are really busy at work, I came home from Florida and attended a dear friend's very emotional funeral, in the midst of tackling major yard work, my body's battery needs to be recharged, or a combination of the above. Either way, I decided to stop, drop, and roll. No...wait. That's not right. Stop, look, and listen? Whatever. Anyway, I stopped everything I was doing, and chose one primary task. WRITING.

With only four weeks to complete my novel, A Clover Key's first draft before my 50th birthday, I am knee-deep in the climax and last third of the manuscript. I can't seem to get my head out of the world I created, and quite frankly, I'm enjoying it.

So for the next month, my blog posts and my social media presence will be sporadic. I'm sure I'll need to come up for air every one in a while, and write about whatever is on my mind. Like this:

Top Ten Reasons To Give Up Writing

10. You'll have more room on your bookshelf without all the market guides and 'how-to-write' books.

9.  You'll no longer see your family and friends cringe when you ask them to read your manuscripts.

8.  You can use your pocket recorder for grocery lists and parking locations.

7.  You can take all the notebooks and pencils out of your car, purse, nightstand, and bathroom.

6.  You can read a novel for its story and not dissect it for style, point of view, and voice.

5.  You can have a normal conversation with people without zoning out when a story idea comes to mind.

4.  You can read a magazine and not feel the need to Google the submission guidelines.

3. You can shower in peace and throw away the bathtub crayons you use to jot ideas on your tile.

2. You're more likely to get a full night's sleep without having your characters wake you in the middle of the night to tell you what happens next.

And the number 1 reason to give up writing:

Eating two-handed food, like fried chicken, will be easier without a pencil in your hand.

So---please be patient with me, because I refuse to give up writing. I'll be back soon.

*****

Connect with me on Twitter--Facebook--LinkedIn--Google+

Plus, sign up for free e-mail updates from this blog in the top right-hand corner of the page.

 

*****

January Update

The holidays are over and the house is back to normal. Somewhat, anyway. The best thing about decking the halls with boughs of holly, santas, snowmen, Christmas cards, and angels is tucking them neatly away in their designated Rubbermaid tubs, when the season is over. The house looks bigger and cleaner and more organized.

When the house feels organized, I feel productive. Amanda is back in school in Daytona Beach, FL (poor kid, huh?) hopefully with her nose to the grindstone, and my writing den is all mine, once again. 

As I look back on my goals for 2012, I'm thinking my ambition may have been bigger than my capabilities. Setting goals keeps me from roaming aimlessly through life but I think the problem lies in the fact that I have too many unfinished tasks from 2011 and my brain is telling me to complete them before moving on to my detailed schedule for the new year.

But all is not lost, I'm co-mingling unfinished 2011 tasks with my new schedule in baby steps. While I've written and submitted two adult short stories and two poems (one of which was already accepted!) and started on another novel (I couldn't help myself!) my children's writing goals are a little behind. My ICL lesson is going to need another week or two before it's suitable for sending to my instructor and I haven't any children's short stories begging for release from my brain.

Have no fear, I haven't given up, though! For now, I think my key to any accomplishment in the next few months will be perseverance. That schedule may need a little adjusting.

What about you? Have you set any goals for yourself? How are you faring?