The World Did Not End So Let’s Begin Again

2012 for me was an OFF year. By that I mean I just didn’t feel on top of much of anything, though there is plenty of evidence that I was successful and productive. In my post Planning 2012 Beyond the Mayan Calendar I talked about what I was going to do, and other than the DJABC stuff I really blew it.

I did not prepare an outline for #NaNoWriMo 2012, did not complete my 50,000 words for #NaNoWriMo 2012 (completing only 7,294 words), did not finish editing/revising my manuscript from #NaNoWriMo 2011 or have anyone else read it, and I did not meditate anywhere near twice the entire year. I suffered greatly for that last one, keeping too busy to attend to my soul care.

One thing I’ve learned about myself is my cycles (beyond the feminine). We all have them. For me there is what I have come to call my ON-OFF years. 2011 was an ON year with me having very clearly laid out, achievable goals and keeping track of them with followup and progress reports. 2012 was an OFF year, not because my goals were poor or?in-achievable? but because I didn’t keep track and followup with progress reports. I just couldn’t find it in myself to care the way I had the previous year.

So 2013 will be an ON year, but I’m going to challenge myself one step further. I’m going to lay out my yearly goals, challenge myself to keep track and followup with progress reports, but also I’m going to challenge myself to be somewhat conservative with my driving energy so that there is some for 2014 and beyond. I think I have been too dogged about things when it’s an ON year that it takes me an entire year to recoup resulting in an OFF year.

Here are my goals for 2013:

• Read 2 books each month. One for DJABC and one other of my?choosing. I shall utilize my Goodreads account to keep track of that.
• I will meditate at least twice a week for 20 minutes. Meditation Monday and Wednesday will become a regular part of my routine as those are the days I could benefit most from meditating.
• Edit manuscript from #NaNoWriMo 2011 and have at least two others read through it to offer suggestions and?criticism. I already have two readers in mind (Melinda and Sarah), so I’ll plan to have the MS ready for their review by March. (See by actually naming them and the deadline they have my permission to hound me.)
• Revise MS after review by beta readers. This is dependent on the previous goal. I’ll set a tentative deadline for May on this one.
• Complete the five Austenesque short stories I’ve outlined for an ebook collection. This is a project I’m working on with Sarah, so she can help me stay focused. Plus, I think I have one already complete, which really leaves four more. I’m focusing on the ones I have outlined, but there may be more in the works afterward.
• Get 100% completion on my Ratchet and Clank Collection. That’s just a fun goal for the year to work on with my kids.

I plan to followup with progress report posts quarterly throughout the year as a way for me to see how well I’m progressing, and to share it with you. It’s another one of the things I’ve learned about goals. In order to achieve them you have to keep them in mind and chart your progress. Sometimes?circumstances require modification of goals, especially those that are long term.

What do you think about making goals and following up throughout the year? Is this something you do for yourself?

*Photo: The calendar I made with my kids for January 2013 out of repurposed brown packing paper, scrapbook paper, stickers, tape, and paint.