What are my writing goals?

I've tried different ways to focus on my writing and to actually be productive. I gave myself daily word count goals. I used a timer, forcing myself to keep writing for an hour at a time each day. Just recently, I came up with a longer list, something for me that was more doable, as there was more variety. Not only was I going to write a certain amount each week, I wanted to grow my social network as well as do research for my current novel and spend time researching various markets. I wanted to strive to submit something somewhere each and every week.

Trying this for the last month, I've been somewhat of a failure. July 1, however, was my new starting point, from which I would jump into all of my goals.

Here they are:

1) Write for a total of nine hours a week. I know it doesn't sound like much, but that is an hour a day plus two on weekends. Did I tell you I work fulltime? That takes a chunk of time out of my week. There's lots more to the writing career than writing, though, so keep going down the list.

2) Add to my social networks (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Good Reads, Pinterest) twice a week.

3) On the flip-side of #2, don't spent more than an hour a day social networking. This is my biggest time-drain. Do I really need to know that Jess just came back from a ten-mile run or that Pat is going to take a shower? Do I really need to look at all those pictures of flowers from Portugal? Or horses from Bolivia? Really?

4) Research markets, editors, agents, etc, for one hour a week. Unless I want everything I write to stay in my laptop or file cabinet, I have to find places to send it and people to read it.

5) Submit something, somewhere once a week. Same as for #4.

6) Continue posting on my original blog, The Dino Chronicles, three times a week. Post my writing progress twice a week on this blog.

Is that enough to keep me busy? The worst part is that it is summer here now, and our summer is so short that all I want to do is sit outside in the sun. Doesn't help either that my writing space is in the basement, except that it is the coolest place in the house.

And away we go...