So as of this morning, I have knocked off a bunch of small, but measurable goals I had for myself this year and I'm feeling really rather pleased with myself. To wit, since Friday, I have:
- Written and posted my "back cover" blurb for A Scandalous Liaison and (new this morning) for Lady Libertine.
- Bought my plane ticket to Dallas (non-stop both ways, round-trip for $233; I feel like I committed theft!).
- Registered for the RWA National Conference.
- Sent my manuscript to Lacey to burn onto a CD for me so I can send in my PRO application soonest. (I know, I know, get into the 20th century and get a CD burner already! On the other hand, I think RWA should get into the 21st century and take the file by email or ftp :->.)
- Made reservations for the familial vacation during the second week of April. (Okay, I know this one is not obviously writing-related, but it was taking up space in my brain which was pushing out writing, so it is writing-related after all. Come to think of it, everything is, really!)
It didn't hurt that I got up extra early (before 6:00 a.m.) and knocked off a bunch of the small stuff before the kids got up for school.
So, what remains on my goal list? Since I like to keep my goals short-term (if the deliverable date is more than three months from now, it's not a goal yet--it's a wish *g!), here's what I still have to accomplish:
Read and critique a chapter for Nana, whom I met at the RWA San Diego chapter meeting, by tomorrow.Select and post an excerpt from Lady Libertine to my website by Wednesday.Write a blurb for Going Greekand post it to my website by the end of the week.Submit PRO application by April 6 (the Friday before Easter). Of course, I'm relying on Lacey to get my CD burnt and back to me by then, so it could slip depending on her schedule.- Have a relaxing vacation! Do not think about writing! (Yeah, right!)
- Finish revising A Scandalous Liaison by May 1 and query to several agents by mid-May.
- Complete a polished partial of Going Greek and find an appropriate contest for it (no later than mid-May).
- Complete the rough draft of Lady Libertine by my birthday (June 6).
The first five should be easy. The last three...not so easy. But having goals keeps me focused and focus is good.
Today's question: What are your short-term goals? And how do you motivate yourself to meet purely self-imposed deadlines?
10 comments:
Good question. I look at writing as my job now (yes, that would mean two full-time jobs) and I just tell myself the work has to get done. As much as I LOVE to write, there are those days I do have to motivate myself to do it. A daily word count is how I do that. The contests also motivate me because they have deadlines and after June, I will no longer be entering AHR in the contests but ATR, which means I have to make my deadlines for that book.
Honestly, I have a weird psyche. I'm not good at all at meeting goals and deadlines, but I'm quite good at doing things I want to do. So I have to trick myself OUT of thinking I have deadlines, and then I get stuff done. Otherwise I dither and panic and do nothing.
Weird, huh?
Although I'm a stay-at-home mommy these days, writing 'feels' like my full-time job. My goals, write, submit, write, submit. . .
Write: Postcards from the Dead - finish by 1 April
Submit: PFTD
Write: Leader of the Pack finish by my birthday (7 June) (So, happy birthday to us!)
Submit: LofTP
Outline Wild Ghost Hunt (finish by 15 May)
My goals are:
finish what I start
and
sign a NY publishing contract with a decent advance
I was setting goals and failing to meet them due to health/family stuff for about 18 months, and I felt like the world's biggest loser. So I quit setting goals. Now I'm more productive! I keep a list with all sorts of things on it, from dinky to big, and every day I try to mark something off. Usually I do.
Everyone please send a curse my way (to kill termites). The guy is here today assessing the damage.
Forgot to ask, where are you going on vacation? The termites just cancelled ours. Also our groceries and gas for the next 6 months *heh*. Good thing I have a TBR pile the size of Chewbacca.
I don't set specific goals, much like I don't do New Year's resolutions. Altho this year I made a deal with myself to write everyday, which I've pretty much stuck to. And if I didn't write, I decided not to be consumed with guilt.I wonder how I'll do if I ever have to meet a deadline.
Goals? LOL. This office is a scheduling blitz right now with one of my sisters on extended leave. Okay, so for Terran and I it's fairly straightforward right now.
We don't do short term. We do long term otherwise we'd go bonkers.
Terran
2 Novellas under contract by June 1st.
Shorts are up to date.
Full Length Sci-fi novel - Darkness Looms - by 9-1 Submit to Bane no later than 9-15.
T.J.
Shorts are up to date.
Full length - book three Lords of the Crymrae by August 1. Submit to NCP no later than August 15.
Full length brother story to book two - no later than Sept 1. Submit to NCP no later than Sept 15.
At least the shorts are caught up. That's a load off our list.
I really enjoyed reading everyone's goal-setting (or not setting *g!) methods and ideas. Thanks so much for sharing!
Jody, I'm sorry to hear about the termites! Do you have to have the house tented?
Our vacation will be a relatively low-key affair this year. Every year for the past three, we've gone to Europe for spring break, but this year, we decided not to do a big trip. So we're just driving up to the LA area for a few days. We're going to hit Knott's Berry Farm the first day (mostly for the kids' benefit, of course!), then visit a cousin of mine who lives nearby (I hope--this reminds me I need to get in touch with her pronto!). After that, we'll drive up a bit further north to visit the Getty Villa and the Griffith Observatory (both of which have recently reopened after major remodeling/restoration) and maybe spend some time at Venice Beach, eating in Chinatown, etc. I'm looking forward to it!
You know my goals! I'm impressed you've gotten so many done already. Rock on! As for getting your CD back to you, I have it in my purse. Plan is to get it to the PO by this afternoon!
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