Discussion Assignment for January 18th, 2016 lesson-Post here

[Sunny Irene Roth]

Hi all,

Please post your answers to this week's lesson here.

Thank you!

Irene

 

[greta-g]

So, for the first exercise, I would like you to try setting at least one goal in each of these areas and don’t be afraid to take your initial goal and add a bit more to it if you think it is achievable and won’t stress you out.

Family and Relationships:

I have a great relationship with my girls and my husband, but I know that I can be a better listener and pay more attention to what’s important to them. As for other family and relationships, I would like to try to be a little more forgiving for things, maybe a little more open and try to trust a bit more.

Financial

Financially I would like to stick to my goals of paying off the debt we have. My biggest issue when I work on this is that it seems like it’s one extreme or the other: playing or paying. I would like to balance that, so that I don’t feel like we have no fun when I am trying to pay off debt.

Spiritual

I would like to talk to pray more. Turn my troubles over to God more often. I am suck a control freak that I think I am the only one who can deal with things, that I don’t often turn to God unless it’s a time of crisis. I would like to change that.

Charity and Volunteer Work

I would like to give more of my time to causes that matter to me. Over the years, I have dedicated time to military spouse groups, animal shelters, and things of that nature. Since going back to school, I have not had as much time and there are other personal goals I’d like to work on more, but I don’t want to not take part. The things that matter to me: homeless, domestic abuse, animal neglect/abuse. There is a woman’s shelter and food pantries not too far away.

Writing

I have a bad habit of putting off writing until everything else in my life is done or organized or whatever. I love writing, but I’m a deadline girl…if I don’t have a deadline, I have all the time in the world, and if I don’t finish something, I can’t fail at it. Not very logical because by not completing it, I am failing.


the Form below to break your big goals into smaller, more manageable pieces.

Yearly Goals (for each of the area’s that you are focusing on):

To listen more, be more open with family.
Pay off debt
Improve my relationship with God
Volunteer for causes important to me
Create and keep writing goals
Complete a manuscript for submission
Be more sociable as a writer.

Monthly Goal (for each of the area’s that you are focusing on):

Talk to my brothers for at least 30 minutes each
Listen to my family, dedicate time for them
Talk to God at least two hours a month
Pay extra on a debt
Take family out for something fun
Donate needed items to charities
Create writing monthly deadlines.
Completely plot a story.
Write one short story.
Interact on social media more

Weekly Goal (for each of the area’s that you are focusing on):

Talk to one brother for 30 minutes (every other week)
Talk to family outside of dinner, dedicate at least 30 minutes a day to each of them.
Talk to God every night for at least five minutes
Every other week, pay a bit extra toward a debt.
Pick an inexpensive family fun activity
Donate to one charity once a week.
Loosely plot story, write one chapter
Create bare bones of short story
Interact on social media—FB and Twitter for an hour a week

Weekly Goal Task to Achieve

Week of January 24, 2016:

Call younger brother this week.
Talk to family every day.
Talk to God every day.
Choose debt to pay extra on this next pay check
Find an activity for family and plan it for Saturday
Choose a charity and buy $15 worth of needed items
Plot story two hours a day
Write first chapter – 400 words a day
Write first draft of short story
FB every day/Twitter every day

Greta

 

[K.S. Elkins]

Overall Goals:
Spend time and visit with family & Spend time with friends.
Work toward bringing in a steady income.
Build backlist of books.

Yearly Goals:
Two trips with best friend, Visit with family from out of state
Butt in chair and write
Self-publish six (6) full novels (Build stamina and production as year progresses)

Monthly Goals:
Keep in touch via phone, text each week (both sister & brother & friends), Plan for trips & visits later on in the year, Go to a movie or two with hubby
Butt in chair, track progress, assess realistic goals to build backlist, Utilize word count tracking spreadsheet.
30,000 words per month (to achieve 6 books this year)

Weekly Goals:
Text nieces & brother, talk with sister and best friend
Spend time with hubby
Write to work toward financial support
7,500 words per week (1,072 per day)
Track daily results on spreadsheet
Assess Daily progress

 

[miesje1984]

GOALS

Family & Relationships
- spend more time with my daughter, making sure to connect
- connect more with the people in my life in general

Financial
- be stable, I have almost no debt, but work like crazy all the time just to stay afloat

Spiritual

I'm pretty solid here, so I will keep doing what I've been doing.

Charity work & Volunteer

Funny this is on here as it is my goal to cut back! I am way overextended. Always running from job to job and driving my daughter. Something has to give and it is in this area. At least for now. I do regularly donate but actual time costing activities must be cut back

Writing
- Make a priority.

Yearly goals
- finish the two books I started
- find a better source of income
- maintain good connections with friends and family via phone, text, email & visits

Monthly
- make calls
- write
- spend time with KB

Weekly
- write 15 min a day minimum
- connect with each person in some way
- list items on ebay
- pursue job listings

 

[Lisa Creane]

2016 Goals
So this is how I think I'm going to have to do this:

• make the goals very specific and as SMART as I can manage
• update them each month (I won't be able to keep up with each week) and post them into a check-in.
• highlight in red which goals I'm currently working on, and when they're achieved make them green.
• set new goals as life changes and put these in orange the first month they're introduced.
• if I decide a goal isn't working I'll cross it off the month I remove it from the list.

Family & Relationships:

• Plan something nice for each of my parents' 75th birthdays (seeing Hamilton for my Dad, ? for Mom)
• Keep up the water aerobics with mom every Thursday night and our scrapbooking at least every other Friday
• Get my sister Jessie and husband Mark to climb together at least once [tired of hearing from both of them "I'd totally peak that with you!" without it coming to fruition, lol) (by July)
• Lure Mark into taking more time off from work in general with promise of freedom from household projects when he's at home (so there's a difference ) (spring/summer)
• Help son Chris with his phone plan so he's always reachable (by April)
• Make sure Dante and Sheyanne have health insurance when they're dropped from my policy this year (by end of January)
• Prod Dante toward his minor surgery (and support, of course) (by end of February)
• Pull off baby shower on February 13th (I have this idea about serving 5 kinds of lasagna--I know, weird, but it has me entranced)
• Enjoy my new grandchild. Offer Caitlin a break when she needs it without sacrificing my work time (due in April)
• Continue to work out conflicts with Mark "to the end" rather than getting stuck and dropping them, then picking them up again, over and over. This is going to be hard but really worthwhile.
• Enjoy time with Lizzy this summer, likely the last one she'll want to hang out with me. But don't let her guilt trip me into doing things for her instead of working. Work before play, just like for her.
• Organize extended family vacation in August (with dad, brothers, cousin and our kids) with some group activities rather than "do your own thing"
• Help nephew Conor with college prep (April/Aug)
• Visit daughter Ciara when she goes to Scotland this fall (Edinburgh)
• Assist daughter Sheyanne in getting her CORE PRAXIS tests complete so she can start teacher certification

Finances

• For the last year or so Mark and I built toward a 1/1/16 deadline for never again being behind on a bill. We've already messed up x 1 but we're very close. //
• Paying off Sears (by April) then going after Visa
• Buying any home repair materials or appliances with cash rather than credit (we did this last year and it was hard but worth it; just keep on keeping on here)
• Splurge a little on spring break vacation this March (hoping for spring training and Universal for a few days)
• Continue cash-only budget for daily spending ( I was doing well but slacked off during holidays; am easing self back in)

Spiritual

• Look around at other churches. See if another one fits better. (by May)
• If it makes sense, give notice about not teaching Sunday School next year (by June)
• Look for God in the daily images I try to capture for my 365 project. Don't be afraid to say how I was feeling with that picture.
• Add gratitude line to my daily GTD journal
• Try more art, and expanding in new and scary ways
• Say grace even if we're not eating at the dining room table (even if I'm eating alone)
• Continue mindfulness work (Stage 4 in Back in Control) (be working on all steps by April)
• Try to describe when I'm feeling joy in my writing journal

Charity and Volunteer

• Volunteer for Blackhorse for Heroes (I've been wanting to do this since last May when I saw the leader talk but wasn't brave enough; trainings are Feb 1st or March 7th and I want to register for one)
• Write articles for CT RWA newsletter each issue (get one article to Christine by Jan 31st)
• Offer to do program for Fiction Fest (volunteer by February, program due by August)

Writing

• Continue with current daily goals (1k words/day, 10k steps/day, 1 Instagram post for my_365_project)
• Give 4-6 chats in this class (one in January)
• Finish revisions on two books and submit (one by March 28th, one by Aug 13th because those are my 2 vacation dates )
• Write two new books (Feb/Mar and Nov/Dec)
• Take Suzanne Johnson's class on Monster Revisions (March)
• Quilt a new story with Suzanne's on Quilting together character arcs (October)
• 4 blog posts/month (minimum) (I'm at 3 or so)
• 4 FB/Twitter posts/week (minimum) (I was doing 7-10 for a while last year but stopped for NaNo and am rusty)
• Read 120 books (Goodreads Challenge)--(this is doable, down from 125 last year)
• Update both websites (consider merging)
• Enter NEORWA contest (Feb 14th)

Other

• Find way to put my_365 pics in album
• Decide on photo and document cloud storage (online)
• Rebuild vegetable beds for spring and plan crops better
• Move swingset/treehouse to daughter & son-in-law's and get a shed there
• Go to one crop in the fall with my mom (Nov 8th? Warwick?)
• Keep a running list of gift idea for kids so some of them are novel/surprises
• Save/Plan for Orlando RWA next year
• Clean out office closet (not easy, it's very big and bites back)

Since there's one week left in the month, the red steps are what I need to do this week.
I'll check in after that with February priorities.

Very happy I didn't skip this even though it was hard taking broad goals and making them specific, time-oriented, attainable, all that .
Once I got into the groove they toppled out of my head onto the paper, where they belong Lisa

 

[caren gallimore]

First off, I want to say how impressed I am with everyone's goals. They inspire me and give me a chance to weigh my own to set them realistically.
Thank for all you posted.
Lisa I love your goals and your color coding
With that and because I am behind, and want to catch up this week, I'm only going to post my down and gritty goals and not my thought process that is some 5-10 pages long (eeeek).
I'll this my synopsis of my goals:
Yearly Goals:
*Personal: I started using the online Life Journal because I wanted to write what I want to write and get the raw emotions that I can't share WITH anyone and see if I can eradicate the ones that show up without anyone seeing it.
I am a flat out people pleaser who suddenly wants to quit---gracefully. Not big issue but everyone is up in arms about it, but I would like to do some things for me. All my life the guilt of doing something like this has killed my doing this(isn't everything always more important?) so I'm working through that.
YEARLY GOALS:
*Family: Spend Quality, enjoyable, full participating time with family members and friends. 'be at the moment."
Too often I'm there, but my mind is elsewhere.
Finances: Start producing
Spiritual: Reignite my prayer life and keep a prayer journal. Have faith.
Donations: Give twice a month to the woman and rescue shelter each month
About Writing: READ more ( maybe the good reads challenge?)
MARKET my two books. Write down a plan of action where I write down the agents I've chosen, submissions, etc Have both submitted to every agent or publisher possible by years end and also to submit them to choice contests to get feedback.
In the meantime, during boot camp and nighttime hours, write fresh on my new WIP.
MAINTAIN the above life journal so I can see where I start to stumble off track or lose my courage.
PARTICIPATE in this class
PROACTIVELY set writing times and commit to writing then. Nothing else. If I have to, I will spin around in my chair and shriek "No," to all that dare to enter.
Buy a wallcalendar and take a look at the entire year so I'm not always saying, "Really? Man I thought that wasn't due for 2 more weeks Where did the time go. I wish I could find an enormous one so I could do a bit planning on the days rather than x them off as they come, but so far I haven't found one.
The other thing that I may have to change is my daytimer. I'm currently using a Franklin Covey planner 1p.compact size. I've used it for years, because it fit in my purse, but I used the classic size when in business and that helped me to keep track of revolving orders. . I just hate to spend the money
MONTHLY GOALS:
Somewere already above but to restate-keep the personal journal day and night so I can see where I'm moving forward andwhere I start to crash. Hopefully, finding this out I can take preemptive actions to keep myselt on steady ground.
Print out monthlycalendar with goals of my times (it will take a long time for anyone to respect them but I have to start now anyway) so that people can see beforehand what I am doing. Hopefully, this will eliminate the "But Mom it will only take 20 minutes tops" or the other "Caren you are working on the same old manuscript for days, if it was meant to sell it would of, let it go."
Spend each Sunday planning for the week to come. Color codes my activities so I can see where I'fe put too high sessions activities together.
I've been doing this, but now I want to add- plan in a quiet area away from everyone. A 20 minute plannng session should not take 2-3 hours while you are being interrupted to the point you can't remember anything that you had planned to plan. WRITE THIS DOWN CLEARLY, POST IT, AND FOLLOW THROUGH.
WEEKLY GOALS:
Spend time each week with each kid or both together. I won't always have them in the same town. And I want to be with them not worrying about the stuff I still have yet to do. I also want to spend more times with friends. I tend to cancel dates out because I can never get to a break point.
that's not good.
Finances:For now I would like to put all my finances, bills, my mortgage, life insurance etc in one box, file or binder so I have it in one place. I would like to do this weekly so I can keep up with then instead of throughing them into the door basket to be gone through later when I have time.
Spiritually: Attend bible study every week to study the bible and socialize, use prayer diary daily and of course pray daily
Charity: Contribute at least every other week
Writing: First plan the week on my 2page spread, knocking out the immovable dates (drs. appt, bible study, prior set appt, workout times, prior commitment to a family member if it time sensitive) first and then planning my writing time and workout times if those aren't already scheduled by force by preplanned events (past 5pm Is past my prime for workouts
Stay on course with WordWonders, post, attend Sprints, and become more proactive in the group
Market my 2 books and develope a clear deadline that can be achieved for both projects
Write at night instead of watching TV
Get my new lap top up to date
This is more of a rough, but it's Tuesday and I need to put my foot to the metal.

 

[alisab8]

I’m a pantser in much of my life, and a little ADD. So, some items may need to be altered if the goals are not achievable. And many items depend on when I am employed again.

Completing this assignment is a BIG Yay me!

FAMILY AND RELATIONSHIPS

• Develop closer relationship with my mother
• Spend more quality time with Guy

FINANCIAL

• Reduce debt
• Save money
• Find a job that I enjoy

SPIRITUAL: I’m not a spiritual person. No goals.

CHARITY & VOLUNTEER WORK: I can’t really set goals here. I’m trying to get my “house” in order, so my time is tapped. At some point, I can see myself involved in a literacy program. As for donations – all depends on when I’m back in the workforce & how much I’ll earn.

WRITING

• Stop procrastinating and make writing a priority. The blank pages don’t seem to be writing themselves.
• Publish my stories … and have them sell
• Read all of the craft and research books I own
• Read the novels I own because they inspire me to write. Plus I learn from the authors I enjoy, as well as the ones I don’t.

YEARLY GOALS
​

FAMILY AND RELATIONSHIPS

• Call my mother more often; don’t wait for her to eventually call me
• Be in the moment with Guy …When we don’t plan to do something, it rarely happens

FINANCIAL

• Pay down debt
• Do not add to debt unless absolutely necessary
• Don’t touch savings unless emergency
• Get a job

WRITING

• Plan for RWA 2017 (though, this is part of the financial goals)
• Complete novel and novella (both started and semi-plotted)
• Edit completed work
• Work toward getting completed works published
• Plot out new stories
• Continue with Yay me, goal setting and start journaling
• Review workshops offered via Savvy and the various RWA chapters

MONTHLY GOALS - February
​

FAMILY AND RELATIONSHIPS

• Call my mother every other week
• Plan inexpensive date activities – that don’t necessarily involve dining out – unless dining out IS the activity. (Watching the numerous movies we own, but have not yet watched, going out to a movie, the Palm Beach Zoo, The Morikami Museum, etc.)

FINANCIAL

• Track spending
• Dine out less and cook more; if we’ve bought groceries, we need to cook them and not throw them out.
• No credit cards for dining out or entertainment
• Continue sending out resumes
• Continue Power Point lessons from the Step-By-Step book.
• Get a job

WRITING

• Need to write 50K words for Boot Camp
• Participate in Boot Camp activities (challenges, sprints, etc.)
• Complete Chapter One workshop – free for FTHRW members
• Start and complete Engaging with Writer’s Block workshop – free for FTHRW members
• Keep up with WordWonders assignments
• Do I have time for the Word Press workshop with Pat Haggerty? Doesn’t seem urgent at this point.
• Continue Yay Me!
• Start journaling

WEEKLY GOALS
​

FAMILY AND RELATIONSHIPS

• Call my mother every other week
• No football this week, so either watch a movie in or catch up on DVR’d PBR (Professional Bull Riders) events

FINANCIAL

• Send out at least 2 resumes
• Follow up on resumes previously sent
• Upload resumes into sites like Monster.com, Indeed, Career Builder
• Work on Cover Letter
• Complete at least 2 Power Point lessons from the Step-By-Step book.
• No more than dining out once for dinner and once for lunch per week – and no using credit cards

WRITING

• Prepare for Boot Camp – need to write 12,500+ words p/week – beginning 2/1
  • Finish reading From 2K to 10K: Writing Faster, Writing Better, and Writing More of What You Love (I’m counting this as the 3 craft articles for the week)
  • Review notes from Writing Faster workshop from a couple of years ago.
• Chapter One:
  • Reply to Merry’s notes on assignment# 1 for Chapter One and complete rest of assignment
  • Complete assignments: 1/27, 1/28, 1/29
• Engaging with Writer’s Block workshop starts 2/1
• WordWonders
  • Post if goals met and do every week… good or bad
  • Do assignment for 1/25
• Continue reworking of ACL – will be using for BootCamp
• Continue Yay Me!
• Start journaling with notes from 2K to 10K

 

[WorkingBackwards]

Wow! Great goals everybody!

Okay, I'm a one-note Charlie. My goal this year is to get my debut launched properly and well.

My current goals are:

1. get the first chapter to the publisher.
2. Get manuscript to publisher for proofreading - frankly, this one freaks me out because it's...final. And I have to do acknowledgements and dedication and whatnot. I dunno. I just read the publisher's handbook and had a little bit of a seizure.
Also for February:
3. I'm hosting a story structuring expedition in my house at the end of the month. Three houseguests, plus others in the area. I'm working on a Brand New Idea for this one, so I need my manuscript off to the publisher and off the desk so I can concentrate on it.
4. Spending 5 days with writing with my critique partner in Sedona. I'm already begging her to help me with the acknowledgments, etc and I hope to finish my edits then. I love these times with her, very productive and creative.
5. First meeting with my PR people. Yes. I'm stressed.
6. Do serious work toward getting my website, FB author page, Pinterest accounts set up and integrated. I'm hoping to see the cover design soon. That will help.

Honestly, I don't see myself doing a writing journal or a YayMe file. Looks like a lot of work and like it's something that will annoy me, not uplift me. I already keep files of new ideas and research for them and what not. And files for ideas for ideas. So...I'm not really sure if that is what Irene means.

As to other goals.

Family - it's fine.
Financial - I'd love to get the taxes done and out of the way. As soon as the manuscript is off. Reminding myself NOW that it never takes as long as I think it will.
Spiritual - Ha! HAHAHAHAHA! Someday, I'll share.