Chugging along towards goal success

And with no introduction, here is my week at a glance.

I. READING –

A. Daily goal

1. Read two other blog posts a day. Still averaging one blog a day.

2. Read in at least one of the three books I am reading.  Have been reading the books and have added some to the reading list.  

B. Weekly goal

1. Do research on my novel. No, can’t say that I have.  

2. Start research for my next novel. Well, kind of, I found a new setting for a new novel. I hope to visit this place in two weeks. Where is it? That’s a secret.

C. Goals for the Round

1. Have finished reading five books. I’ve finished two books, “All That You Can't Leave Behind: A Rookie Missionary's Life In Africa “ and “Jesus’ Feet”.

  

II. WRITING

A. Daily goal

1. Work on something for two hours a day. Oh, I would say yes.  

a. Write on my novel. Yes, finally!

b. Write my blog posts. Yes, on schedule.

c. Work on paperwork for the nonprofit organization. Now that the daughter is home, she is calling the shots on this productivity.  

B. Goals for the Round

1. Have finished my novel. OK, I have had a major epiphany regarding the novel. I have been thinking for a while that all the characters and plot lines have gotten away from me. I have pretty much decided to break this one into two novels and hopefully get a bright idea for a third one in the series. If I can pull this off, maybe most of the writing is done for the first novel; I just need to do lots of cutting and pasting.

2. Have finished all of the paperwork for the nonprofit.

III. REACHING

A. Weekly goal

1. Comment on two other blog posts. For the whole week? This seems like a wimpy goal. I am sure that I did this.  

2. Research markets for an hour.  I found a new website to list myself as an author. They haven’t posted me yet, but I am watching for it.

3. Keep up on social media, spending not more than a few hours a week on it. As I kind of suspected, after I built enough of an audience, others tend to find me and ask to be my friend or to follow me, instead of me always doing the hunting. The social networks have all grown in the past month with very little intervention.   

B. Goals for the Round

1. Have submitted three pieces somewhere. At two this morning, when I couldn’t sleep – you know how sometimes the brain just will not shut down – I submitted three photos to my employer’s annual calendar contest. Maybe not writing, but creativity just the same.  And even though it was three photos, it was to one place so I realize this counts as one submission. I am not yet that desperate.  

2. Book signing at a local library. This Saturday I am meeting with the two authors I am working with on this. We hope to get our program finalized, then I will begin broadcasting it.

3. Have survived my speaking engagements at two writers’ conferences. I had my speaking engagement at Country Memories Farm Writers Conference this weekend. It went well, I think. Now onto the next one in two weeks.

4. Ok, here I go, being crazy again, adding a goal in the middle of nowhere. I have been happy with my two blogs being my internet presence for a while now, but I think it is time to get an actual website. I have started looking at my options and different templates and such. I think it would be reasonable to have this up and running by mid-September.

IV. PERSONAL (goals by the end of the round)

A. Running

1. Have run in the 5K on July 4. Done.

2. Continue running a few times a week just to improve my time and stay in shape. I haven’t gotten back up to three miles since the 5K, but am doing one mile a couple times a week.

3. Maybe run another 5K if I find a convenient one.  Can I scratch this off my list? This just is not going to happen.  

B. Family

1. Have settled my mom into better housing. This is such a story. I would like to share, but have promised myself that Mom’s business is her own. All I can say is that you will definitely hear about it when this is achieved.      

2. Have planned that vacation with Hubby in September. I put in for this vacation last March, and believe it or not, the supervisor just yesterday approved it. I am still giving Hubby different options. We are only going to go away for a few days, but we need to get out of town together and go SOMEWHERE! Tonight he revealed what his problem is with some of these plans – again it is a story I am not at liberty to share. Don’t worry about us, though, we will get out of town.   

C. Nonprofit

1. Have submitted all of the required paperwork. Again, just waiting on the daughter.  

2. By September 20, have become a 401(c)3 nonprofit organization. OK, there is no way whatsoever that this will happen now. Once the paperwork gets submitted it is in the hands of a government agency, so is out of our control. Maybe I will shoot for the end of the year on this one.

It looks like I have made some progress. These goals seem more and more attainable.  We are almost halfway through this Round, but I think I might make it.

One of the pictures that did not make the cut for submission to the calendar. A beautiful picture, but don't you think that a hundred and eighty-four people submitted a similar picture? I tried for something more original. The theme was trees and water, so if you have ever seen any of my pictures, you know I have an ample supply.