Monthly Goals Check-In: January 2018

Trying to blog right now could be interesting as I’ve been locked in a tiny bathroom with only an exhaust fan and no openable window breathing primer fumes for the last three hours.

Let’s see how it goes, shall we?

In addition to all the scraping and sanding and painting, this month for Boho Barbie’s Dream Bathroom, I’ve also accomplished:

• All of my scheduled blog posts.
• Prepped 6 audio books
• Updated a client’s website
• Read 3 books
• Started a short story submission that I’m really happy with
• Updated my blog
• Did some market research
• Sorted through all my clothes and donated three kitchen garbage bags full
• Mailed out all the packages that needed sending
• Finished setting up my bullet journal for all of 2018
• Made this Eliza Schuyler Hamilton dress for my niece

So, for next month, my goals are:

• Complete all scheduled blog posts
• Complete all scheduled audio preps
• Complete all scheduled edits
• Finish short story
• Sort bedding
• Bring donations to the donation place
• Finish Boho Barbie’s Dream Bathroom
• Get house cleaned before Jess comes

What do you want to accomplish in February? Be sure to check out the other bloggers and see what’s up with them!

Jess  *  Gwen

 

Monthly Goals Check-In: September 2017

It’s that time of the month, again–time to see what I accomplished, and what I didn’t.

Okay, so last month, I said I’d:

• Release Rewritten (Yep!)
• Finish all my scheduled blog posts (Yep)
• Continue writing daily (Mostly)
• Finish building the websites (Two out of three…)
• Make progress on some re-releases I’ll be putting out (Nope!)
• Complete the assigned audio preps (Yep)
• Complete the spreadsheet for my friend’s business (Yep…but, it wasn’t quite what she was hoping for, so it needs to be redone.)
• Finally sort out the bedding and purge my clothes (Nope)
• Finish two very late Christmas presents (Nope, but I made progress.)

So, for October, my goals are:

• Finish the rewrite of Under Your Spell
• Finish all of my scheduled blog posts
• Finish building the last website
• Complete the assigned audiobook preps
• Sort bedding and purge my clothes
• Finish the two very, very late Christmas presents
• Start holiday shopping
• Send out review requests
• Finish the coursework for the surprise class I took in September
• Complete scheduled client edits

I think that’s all I’m actually going to schedule for right now. Be sure to check in with Jess, too, and see what she’s got going.

 

Monthly Goals Check-In: January 2017

I’ll be honest, I’ve been working my ass off, but I don’t feel like I’m really getting anywhere.

I’d planned to have short story finished, a book revised and expanded, and be at least a quarter of the way into a new novella. However, that’s not quite how things worked. An ugly case of anxiety and depression have pretty well immobilized me.

However, I have kicked ass at gutting my house and  getting rid of stuff. I still need to wash out the fridge, and take stock of the freezer, but then I’ll be done with the kitchen. I’m doing this 52 Week Organized Home Challenge. So far, so good. And in some areas, I’m working ahead – like my bedroom.

This is this month’s to-do list from my bullet journal. Things that are half-filled in are started, arrows mean they’re migrating to next month, and filled in means they’re done. Yeah…still hoping to start that yoga program by next Tuesday…

(Apologies for my hideous handwriting.)

But, I’ve been doing a lot of editing and some writing. Jess and I will have a new newsletter out next week, too. So if you want two new free short stories, sign up for the newsletter – they’re exclusive to newsletter subscribers only.

I’ve also been doing a lot of knitting. I made pussyhats for the Women’s March, and I’m still going. I think I’m on hat number nine. And a bunch made it to the marches in DC, Atlanta and Lansing.

Another thing I’ve accomplished this month is building a website for The Michigan Highlanders, the Highland Games organization my brother Martin belongs to. And if you want to follow them on Instagram and Tumblr, I’m sure they’d love that. (I would also love that. I’ve worked very hard on this – lol!) In case you’re wondering, my brother is the one who’s ripped the sleeves out of his shirts.

Okay, my goals for February are:

Continue with whatever’s next on the Organized Home Challenge

Finish revising and expanding Mist and Stone.

Progress on DN & EP 

Finish 5 more pussyhats

Progress on the other two websites I’m putting together. 

Oh yeah, and start that damn yoga program.

Be sure you check out the other bloggers check-ins! Jess, Deelylah, and Paige.

Dear 2016, You Can Fuck Right Off

So, this post is meant to be the annual look back at 2016 and a look ahead at goals for 2017.

I think Helen Mirren said it well. For me, this year has pretty much sucked endless ass–particularly on the professional, cultural, social and political fronts. But for the sake of this post (and my mental health) I’m just going to focus on my own professional issues.

The short version of this post is: I feel like I’ve failed miserably on the professional front and I hate everything.

Here’s how everything shook out.

I’d planned to write 5 books and 36 pieces of flash fiction.

I wrote 36 pieces of flash fiction, 3 short stories, and  1 book–1 book that I dearly love. And then? I was stupid enough to release it four days prior to what may have been the most contentious, awful election in all of U.S. history. Way to think that through, Bron.

I’d planned to write all 76 scheduled blog posts.

I actually did that – plus 35 more for a total of 111 blog posts. So, that was good.

And Jess and I did start our newsletter, finally. So, that’s good, too.

So that ended up being:

Writing: 89,471 words

Blogging: 77,482 words

Client Editing: 1,431,892 words

That’s a far cry from last year, but it’s also not zero, so…

And to be fair, I don’t hate everything. But I do hate the stress, anxiety, depression, and fear that have been my constant companions for the last 12 months. I’m usually a fairly positive person, but worry and grief over world and cultural events (as well as a few personal ones) have made that more than a little difficult.

But, ultimately, my family and friends are safe and sound and whole and mostly well, and for me, that’s the most important thing.

So, my goals for this coming year are:

Get a handle on the negativity that’s seems to be plaguing me.

Do what I can to affect positive change in the world–even if they’re only small things.

Write day and night like I’m running out of time.

How about you – what are your goals?

Be sure to check out the other bloggers’ goals: Gwen and Jessica.

Goals for 2015

It’s that time of year where everyone makes plans and sets goals and generally decides what they’d like to accomplish during the coming year.

I’m no exception to this tradition.

So…these aren’t in any particular order, but here’s what I’d like to accomplish.

1.) Finish my first YA series.

2) Finish the four stories currently on my plate.

3.) Get the business with friends up and off the ground.

4.) Continue to eat healthier.

5.) Exercise more (ugh…but it must be done)

6.) Continue to purge my house of excess belongings.

7.) Read at least a couple books (for pleasure) a month.

8.) Finish knitting my sweater and start the next one.

9.) Sew through one of the boxes of fabric in my craft room/office.

10.) Get the clay out and work on some pieces (and try to find a place to fire it).

11.) Spend more time in nature.

12.) Have an amazing writers retreat.

13.) Finally meet Chaos Chris in person.

14.) Speak up when I should.

15.) Learn to make some natural beauty projects.

16.) Grow a more successful garden than this year.

17.) Continue to try new things.

18.) Combat procrastination more effectively. (I can hear you all laughing, but it’s cool.)

19.) Continue to blog weekly.

20.) Write daily.

Click on the names below to see what the other bloggers’ goals are.

Jess

Kris

Gwen