Some people have strange New Year’s traditions. Like participating in a Polar Bear Plunge.
Others make resolutions. That’s not for me. Resolutions are just vague promises made to self.
Instead, I’m going to try something different, like goals. Things I’m going to make myself do.
In 2014, I was 2 for 8 in achieving my goals for the year. Not so good. The others, well, better to just say some are more done than others. Now what?
The obvious answer is set some new goals. And do it smarter this year.
1. Publish the memoir I wrote for my dying friend, Plucked from a Mango Tree.
2. Read some books on editing and learn how to do it efficiently and well
3. Edit Raising Fear, Book #1 in my fantasy quartet
4. Publish Raising Fear
5. Draft Stinging Power, Book #3 in the quartet
6. Edit Wanting Justice, Book #2
7. Publish #2
8. Blog weekly
9. Use social media to be social and build real connections
10. Find a good critique group
11. Participate in NaNoWriMo
Breaking these into quarterly goals is helpful, which gives me some milestones to help me on my way:
January to March
1. Publish Plucked from a Mango Tree
2. Read two books on editing (January)
3. Edit Raising Fear and send for manuscript review (February)
4. Draft Stinging Power (March)
5. Write 13 blog posts
6. Follow up with leads on critique groups
April to June
1. Edit Raising Fear
2. Send Raising Fear to beta readers
3. Edit Wanting Justice
4. Read two books on using social media well
5. Implement what I learned
6. Write 13 blog posts
July to September
1. Publish Raising Fear
2. Send Wanting Justice to beta readers
3. Work on social media
4. Write 13 blog posts
5. Promote Raising Fear
October to December
1. Publish Wanting Justice
2. Promote Raising Fear and Wanting Justice
3. Outline NaNo novel
4. Draft NaNo novel
5. Work on social media
6. Write 13 blog posts
7. Edit Stinging Power
8. Keep working more on social media
A big lesson from 2014 is that while I kept the goals for the year in mind, I didn’t keep track of the quarterly goals. So I’m just going to have to make a commitment to myself to revisit these goals in early April, just to see how I’m doing.
But IF I am successful, I will have published three books and drafted two, and learned something about how to edit my novels and use social media effectively.
Not bad for a year’s work.
So here’s hoping 2015 will be a year of achievement, learning and growth.
Have you set your goals yet? I’d love to hear about them, and the progress you make in the coming year.
Happy New Year, everyone!