Happy New Year - Looking Ahead to 2018

Happy New Year! I sincerely hope everyone's 2018 is better than their 2017. May you have a year of blessings, surrounded by people you love and who love you in return. Pursue your dreams. They can happen - become a reality. Set your goals and work every day toward them. Personally, I've been looking forward to 2018 since probably the middle of November. I took a hard look at my year, both professionally and personally.  I summed up the results below.

My favorite memories from 2017 include:

* R graduating from high school.
* Taking R for first a college visit then to get books after s/he was accepted to the local community college.
* Visiting with family and friends, especially my aunt and uncle from Texas.

The Positive:
* I made sense of money matters.
* I discovered the Miracle Morning
* I discovered the Writing Excuses Podcast
* Learning to deal create and update my own website.

The Negatives:
* Depression, PTSD, and Stress
* Lack of motivation
* I didn't finish, submit, or have anything published this year.


What held me back:
* Fear
* Depression
* Anxiety
* Lack of planning
* Lack of focus

What helped:
* Establishing a morning routine (Miracle Morning)
* Listening to the Writing Excuses Podcast - motivation
* Readjusting my goals so I'm setting myself up for success instead of failure. - Short, time based goals.
* Accountability - posting my word count update to Instagram.



My 2017 Goals were:


* Ideally, I want to write 12 books, my goal is 5. -- I didn't finish any

* Write 365,000 words -- which sounds like a lot until you realize it's only 1,000 words a day.  Some authors manage 6,000 - that's my goal, but I still have a day job and life stress, so, 1,000 it is.

1st Quarter - 14, 455
2nd Quarter - 12,049
3rd Quarter - 8,368
4th Quarter - 6,631

Total - 41, 503 words

Best month - January (7,303)
Worst month - October (79)

* Read 26 books
      3 Classics
      3 Non-Fiction
      20 - Whatever

 Read 12 - 
    3 Classics
    3 Non-Fiction
    6 Whatever - 
          5 fiction
          1 non-fiction

* Blog Weekly - nope.


In Review -

Numbers are nice, but without a point of reference or context, they're just numbers.  January as a high number makes sense, because I entered 2017 with tons of energy. October as the lowest number kind of surprised me. It's probably misleading a bit though. I wrote long-hand on a couple of stories - started them anyway, but those words aren't counted in the numbers above. It could be as much as 2500 words off, but I haven't counted and I'm not sure where I stuck either notebook to count. I figured I'd count them when I typed them in, but I haven't done that yet.

October and November are particularly busy at the day job, but this year there was a lot more stress, and it leaked over into December. All of it. The paycheck was nice, but I'm burnt out. It's taken about a week for me to start to feel normal again. I have a long weekend and because of the crappy weather, I haven't had to go out or do a whole lot. Which is nice. I stitched and read. Mostly stitched. But, I'm ready to get back to work. Not to my day job, but to writing. To the job I really really want to have.

One of the things I have to take into account going forward is the almost non-stop negativity and hatred that seems to be permeating everything. For me, it's draining. Mentally, emotionally, and even physically. It's more important that ever for me to find the joy in the every day things. In small things. Squirrels playing. Deer eating. Early morning undisturbed snow. The brilliant Full Moon tonight.  It will come in finding people and causes to support, that are worth spending the energy on.


Looking Ahead to 2018

I plan on continuing my short, time-based daily goal of  writing 15 minutes a day. I have to build the writing momentum back up, and it's hard to start again after not writing for a while. At least it is for me with all I've been dealing with.

One of the things I realized that I missed and am missing in my life is a writers group. More than just a writer's group, but to hang out and talk with other writers. I need to get out and meet new people period. But, I do need to find a critique group or start one and I'll rejoin RWA when my taxes come in.

I do have a word count goal I'd like to hit, but I would rather focus on finishing projects. So, I'll be tracking my word count in my Sprint Log and on my project trackers, but my focus is for 2018 is to really get back into a regular writing routine. I know I will need to deal with mental health issues occasionally, but hopefully they won't become debilitating.

I have broken my yearly goals down into quarterly goals and monthly goals. To me, goals should be in manageable chunks that don't set you up for failure, push you or motivate you, and can be measured accurately.  

For January my goals are:

Finish "Behind the Masque"
Write 15 minutes every day

I thought about saying I only have to write 5 times a week, but the idea is to re-build a habit. New habits take 30 days to form completely and solidly. So, every day. Because, I actually don't like my job. Not really. I love the mission of the organization, but it doesn't make me happy. Writing makes me happy. This is how I want to spend my days. My goal in 2018 is to myself on the path to being able to write full time. 

Happy New Year!!
Have a Blessed Year,
Simone.

From the Writer's Desk - Mid-September Check In

I can't believe how fast this year has gone by.  It's hard to believe that next week it will be officially fall, never mind that Pumpkin Spice, Carmel Apple, and Apple Cider everything are out and about.  Along with Halloween decorations. This is my favorite season.  I finished Write by Karen Peterson and am reading The Write Type by her.  I've adapted some of her exercises to my own use.  I may go back and follow the exercises exactly, but I'm not sure at this point.

I had hesitated to add dailies to my bullet journal, because I have a day job Monday through Friday with a schedule that doesn't change.  But, recently I started adding them along with my weeklies, so that I can keep track of my writing time better and any other tasks I want to get done.  I don't add a time line, because at the moment I don't see the need.

My weekly goal is to spend 7 hours on writing or writing related tasks.

The first week of September - 4th - 10th -- I wrote sentences for 2 hours, people watched for 1.5 hours, and worked on my website for 8 hours.

The 2nd week of September -- 11th -- 17th -- I wrote for 4 hours, researched a variety of things for 7 hours, and worked on my website for 8 hours.

So, for both weeks, I met my goal! Which makes me really happy.

I'm going to continue with my daily tracking, because I have to check in with myself daily on whether I made a goal or not. If not, what did I do and why.  There were a couple of days when nothing got done because I was either taking care of family or self-care was more important.

 

Every morning after I complete my Miracle Morning Routine, I set a goal for the day. Most of the time it is to write 1 hour on Behind the Masque, because I want it finished and I keep missing my self imposed deadlines.  I also write down my mood at that moment.  And a reward. Right now, I'm on a stitching kick, so that is my reward if I make my goal. Although, honestly, I may stitch even if I don't make my goal.  Then at night I write down what I actually did, my mood, and where I was. The section under that is what I read for the day.   You can see on this day, I did write, but not on what I wanted to, so I didn't make my goal, but it does count on my tracker.

My goal this week is to write 7 hours on either Marked or Behind the Masque.  I also want to read for 30 minutes a day and to go through one box stacked in my office.  My big goal is to have my house completely de-cluttered by Halloween.

What are your goals for the week? What do you want to accomplish this week? This Season?

Blessings,
Simone.

From the Writer's Desk - Closing in on Mid-July

It's almost mid-July, that doesn't seem to be possible to be honest. R is back from Orlando. Early. That was unplanned. And something I'm not completely happy about. For a multitude of reasons, but it is what it is.

32 days ago I began this Miracle Morning deal after starting to read the book, the Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod. 4 days later, 28 days ago, I recommitted to writing daily and since then I have written nearly every day and written more than I have in a long time. The last few days between R leaving and returning and being way more tired than anticipated, as well as eye strain (this is apparently cured by the use of bi-focals, which are now on their way. Insert dramatic sigh here.), I have written less than I have not written. So, time to change that.

I write in 15-minute  blocks. This is a good thing because that's about how long I can write before my eyes start doing this weird double vision/blurry vision deal. But, I'm challenging myself to write at least 1 hour every day. The 15-minute blocks will be good, but also, because I'm writing long-hand for the moment, I don't have to worry about bringing my laptop (which is still not doing real well).  So, the goal is to write at least 1 hour every day for the next 30 days. At the end of which, if I've made it, I get to buy a book or two. I need to establish a new habit, this will help. I also want to make it positive with something to look forward too.

I'm still working on Behind the Masque. I still want to finish it before the end of the month.

30 days of writing.
Finish Behind the Masque.

I can do this.

Blessing,
Simone.

Book Report - Goal Update and What I'm Reading Now

It's about half-way through the year, which still really doesn't seem possible. There are 3 days left in June. Sunday, not even a full week away, R leaves for Orlando for the month. When they get back it'll be time for College Orientation. That also doesn't seem possible, mostly though because I don't feel old enough to actually have a college student.

At the beginning of 2017 I set a series of Goals, things I wanted to accomplish this year. One of them was to read 26 books. 20 whatever, 3 Non-Fiction, 3 Classics. At the half-way point it stands to reason that I should have read approximately 13 books. I haven't. I've read 5.

I finished:

I have enjoyed every book I've read so far this year.


I'm in the process of reading:




I'm about two-thirds of the way finished with this. I'm learning a ton. It points out the good things about writing by the seat of your pants and how to take your stories to the next level.

 I've just started this, but I'm enjoying it.
































I have several books I want to read this year, plus I keep adding more. There are three or four self-improvement books I want to read this year in addition to my ever-growing to-be-read pile.

 I completely disconnected my cable, so that will give me time to read. Hopefully, I'll be finished with the books I'm reading now by the end of July and I can start on something else. I have books by Rick Reed, Charlie Cochet, and Rhys Ford to read.


I'm curious to know what everyone is reading, as there really aren't enough books to read.

Blessings,
Simone.

From the Writer's Desk -- Trying Something New

It's mid-June, Summer Solstice is today. Twenty days ago my only child graduated from high school. In ten days I send them to Orlando for a month long visit with their Godparents. I have never had more than a week without R, so this will be an experience. One I know I am ready for.  It's hard to believe the year is half-way done.

I think everyone has a limit they reach and say that's it - I can't do this any more - whatever their 'this' might be. I hit that point about three months ago. And hung on longer without really knowing how. I had heard of a book, mostly in passing, without any real conversation on what it was, that piqued my interest. Enough that I went and looked at it time and again. Then I bought it. Started reading it the next day or a couple of days later. Now, I've finished the book and started it again.

What I needed was to change my way of thinking. I was going to ask my counselor for anti-depressants, as my stress, anxiety, and depression sky-rocketed. I decided to try this first.

The book -- The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod. I was about a third of the way through the book when I decided to try it out, mostly because I woke up to use the bathroom about an hour before my alarm clock should ring and decided to give a try.  Eleven days later, I haven't missed a day and it has been an exciting, eye-opening, sometimes painful few days. I love it. One of the things I realized is that I would rather give my most productive energy to my writing not to my day job. So, I decided I needed to write for an hour every morning, which means I need to be up earlier. That's what I've done. The only day I didn't write since I started was Sunday and on that day I was working on spreadsheets and websites and other writing related things before we had to leave for my step-sister's.

I'm getting used to waking up at 4 am, which a good friend of mind keeps telling me that no, I've got it all wrong 4 am is bed time.

So, I'm writing for an hour or there-abouts every day and am finding it easier to write, to figure out what is going to happen next. I have other ideas for more stories too.  I also happened across this book, which will be one my next investments...

The Miracle Morning for Writers.  It looks interesting. I enjoy the quiet part of the morning, it was also my favorite part of the night. But R is a night owl, so there is less quiet. And really, I wouldn't change that. I couldn't be prouder of my kid and the young adult they are becoming.

My goal is to finish BTM by the end of the summer, preferably by the end of July. I'm about half-way there, so that is doable. After that I have several books I want to write, but I have yet to decide on what will be next.

Weekly Goals - To write everyday and finish updating my website.

Wishing everyone a Blessed Summer.

Simone.