Category: new year new goals

2025 First Quarter Goals

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

Here we are in 2025! This year already feels like a breath of fresh air. A new book with 365 pages to make something with.

Because 2024 was so terrible, I’ve decided I’m going to move to quarterly goals for 2025. That way, I have more time to focus on goals, more time to complete them (rather than month to month) and if one quarter sucks, I can regroup and try again in the next quarter.

That being said, here’s what I’m hoping to accomplish in the first 3 months of the year.

Overall

Publish more consistently online and build online presence.

Set up a newsletter

Finish setting up Etsy account and shop. Start selling.

Finish first MFA semester of 2025

January

Post daily on Music That Shaped Me.

Post weekly on the blog and Medium

Participate in NYC Midnight’s Short Story Challenge

February

Post daily on the blog

Post weekly on Music That Shaped Me and Medium.

March

Post daily on Medium

Post weekly on Music That Shaped Me and the blog.

For 2025, I’m keeping it really easy and light for the first quarter. There are some goals I want to reach and things I’ll have to work on, but it will be worth it.

Stay tuned to see how it all goes!

 

2024 Goals

Here we are in 2024! A new year, with 366 (Leap Year!) new days to make things happen and reach some goals.

2023 was super productive and very successful. I hope to repeat the trend in 2024, only better because I’m taking what I learned in 2023 and refining it to better hit my goals.

Writing Goals

Write 1.5K-2K (Or 1 hour of time) daily one project at a time until Completed

Over the last few months of 2023, I changed my writing practices in an effort to be more efficient and not over do it. I overdid it, with massive word counts, but I did learn how to make my writing more efficient. I found I could consistently get anywhere between 1.5-2K words in about an hour, so I would like to make that a daily practice so I can finish some projects this year.

Finish 5-6 Writing Projects

This goal is a huge goal, but I have done that on purpose. If I continue at the pace I did at the end of last year (and with consistency rather than a crazy race to the finish), I can finish several projects. I’m leaving the projects open, not setting anything crazy, seeing what come along when it comes along.

Finish 2 Editing Projects

There are two projects I want to get through edits this year. The first is the edits from last year I didn’t quite get finished and the second is the novel I finished in December. I can’t quite edit as fast as I write (yet), but I’m hoping to improve this year.

Read 15 Books

Reading is one of the goals I definitely overshot last year. I started with 6 and then increased to 12, but read 19. This year, I want to split the difference and read 15 books. I have a few books left over from 2023, but I’ve been itching to get reading and improve my craft.

Publish Consistently Online

Over the last few months, I’ve upped my online publishing game and I’ve seen the results. I want to publish online consistently and get more exposure. I’ve got three places I publish and I want to stay as consistent as possible throughout this new year.

Publish a Long Work

This year, I would like to publish a novel. I’ve been saying that for years, but with years of practice behind me and the hope of more consistency this year, 2024 will be my year to publish. Whether indie published or traditional, I hope to have something published in the next 366 days.

Personal Goals

Exercise/Get in Better Shape

I make this goal every year, and every year I get fed up and give up somewhere in the first few months. I want to exercise (or at least walk) four times a week. I have a very important big party in September and I want to be my best physically for that and continue the habit for the rest of my life. I haven’t always been the healthiest, but now it’s time to change that.

Hydrate

In November, I started a water drinking challenge and it worked very well. I felt better, I wasn’t as fatigued and I didn’t have as many little aches and pains. I didn’t do the greatest in December (still drinking way too much coffee), but I want to continue tracking my water and hydration goals throughout the year.

January Goals

Writing Goals

Outline Open Projects

I have a lot of open projects from the last few years. I’ve learned I do better with an outline, so I want to outline the open projects I have and decide if they are worth continuing or if they should be put on hiatus so I can work on other things. From there, I will pick the project I want to work on for the next few months or so (depending on how long it takes to finish).

Update Blog and other Platforms

I’ve had the blog for a while and I’m branching out into other platforms. I want to create a cohesive experience where all my bios are inter-connected and easier to navigate. I want to update some things here on the blog and make the navigation more user friendly. Stay tuned for updates!

Publish consistently on the Blog, Medium and Substack

Publishing online has been a positive experience for me so far, now that I have been able to make a consistent publishing schedule. I want to continue to publish and build a routine and challenge myself to improve.

Submit a Short Story to a magazine

This goal, I’ve been thinking about for a few months now. I want to attempt to publish something through a magazine and when I last looked submissions weren’t open yet. They open this month, so I’m going to do something scary and submit.

Personal Goals

Exercise 4x/week

I want to walk and get outside for at least 30 minutes a day four times a week. It shouldn’t be too difficult if I stick to a schedule and make it happen consistently. Part of the battle is motivating myself to get it done. I’m hoping with a decent audiobook, podcast or album to listen to, I’ll be able to be more consistent.

Drink Enough Water daily (with the help of Waterminder)

Drinking water and staying hydrated has helped me feel so much better in the long run. I want to keep it up and drink more water consistently and improve my body from the inside out. Waterminder, an app I’ve had since 2020, is very helpful in tracking my water, and it’s really nice to see the pretty colors of all the different liquids I drink.

Overall, I’m excited for 2024 and all the new opportunities it will bring!

 

2023 Goals

A new year has started and I am so excited to have a whole new blank canvas of 365 days to accomplish some new goals. This year, I have decided to do something different as far as goals go, and I’ve added more than just writing goals.

Writing Goals

Write Every Day of 2023

Even though I have never been successful, I would really like to attempt to write every day. I would like to do my best to build a habit and stick with it.

Edit Three Novels

2023 will be the year of editing. I have several editing projects started, but have yet to finish them. I would like to start working through my catalogue of novels I’ve written over the last few years and hopefully get them ready for a publisher.

Edit Six short stories

Same as above, 2023 is the year of editing. I would like to do more than six short stories, but I don’t want to get too overwhelmed either. I’m keeping the bar low, especially since I know I’m not the best at editing.

Read Six Books

Reading is a big part of being a writer. I enjoy reading, and I find it refills my creative tank when I need it most. I have a feeling I’ll read more than six books, especially if this year is anything like last year, but once again, I would rather set the bar low and overshoot it rather than fail it spectacularly.

Publish Something (Either Traditional or Indie)

I’m hoping with all the editing I’m planning on doing this year that I can get something published. I’m hoping for Traditionally published, but I have been doing more research into indie and hybrid publishing, so we shall see what the next year holds.

Participate in Most (If not all) NYC Midnight Writing Contests.

I really enjoy the contests/challenges that NYC Midnight puts on. I intended to compete in all of them last year, but timing wasn’t always the best, or school got in the way. I’m hoping to get a better handle on it this year, so I can be successful in all of the challenges.

Personal Goals:

Graduate With a Bachelor’s in Creative Writing

My tentative graduation date is October of 2023, so I’m looking forward to continuing my education in this next year. I’m not entirely sure what my plan is after I graduate (whether I do an MFA or not), but I’m excited to get my Bachelor’s degree.

Exercise at least 3x a week

2023 and beyond, I want to take better care of myself. I’m not getting any younger and with the amount of sitting I do for work, and writing, and school, I want to prevent any health issues down the road. I’m hoping for at least 5 days a week, but sometimes that isn’t possible. I want to build a routine that I can stick to and exercise (most likely walking/hiking) is a step in the right direction.

Journal Daily

Over the past few years, I’ve been journaling on and off. Putting words down on the page helps get the craziness out of my head. For the last few years I’ve been slacking due to crazy work schedules. Now I’m looking forward to getting back on track and taking care of my mental health as well.

How I Plan to Reach Those Goals in January

Writing

Participate in the NYC Midnight Short Story Competition

Luckily, the first NYC Midnight competition happens to take place in January. Last year, I couldn’t make it, due to homework being due, but I have a better plan for schoolwork and work, so I hope it doesn’t interfere with the competition this year.

Edit One Short Story

I enjoy editing short pieces like short stories. I’m hoping to get at least one edited this month, but hopefully I will be able to edit one or more. I have a feeling editing the short stories will be like writing them was last year, with maybe the editing not getting done in the 30/31 days of the month, but spanning a few months at a time.

Edit Three Chapters

Three chapters doesn’t always seem like a lot, but I think that is what I can accomplish in a month with school, adjusting to a new work schedule and everything else going on in January. As stated above, I’m hoping for more than three, since I do have a lot of editing this year, but we shall see how the first month goes.

Personal

Exercise

At least three times a week to start, and then see how it goes. I might change this goal based on how the month goes.

Journal

No excuses, I want to write a journal entry every day of January and hopefully beyond that.

How about you? What are your goals for 2023?

2022 Goals

Here’s to a New Year and new writing and publishing goals! This year, I hope to accomplish more than I have in the last couple of years. I want to push myself to be more creative.

Write Every Day

This is a goal I have every year. Last year, I wrote every single day for over half the year. This is the year I do it for 365 days and hopefully build a habit that lasts a lot longer. This year, with a little luck and a lot of drive, I’ll get some writing done every single day, whether it’s one sentence or more.

Short Story a Month

In years past, I attempted to write a short story every month. I’m planning to pick it up again and get more short works done this year. It won’t be easy, but I’m hoping it will be worth it in the end.

Write/Edit Six Novels in 2022

2022 is the year of editing. I have several finished novels that have been waiting to have their edits. It’s been a couple years, the novels have had space, and it’s time to start some edits. I always like to have several projects open, so there will be some writing too. I am shooting for at least six novels either edited or written.

Read at least Four Books

Over the years, I have given up reading for writing. I have several books on the backlogs and I always love a good story. I’m going to read to refill the creative tank every once in a while. With any luck it will be more than just school books.

Creative Challenges

Over the years, I have competed in a few creative challenges. In 2022 I am going to compete in even more. I want to compete in any writing competition I can find this year. I’m leaving myself open to opportunities that might come up in the next twelve months.

Here’s how I’m going to attempt some of them in January:

January Goals

Write One Short Story

Technically, this month I will write two short stories, one for myself and one for the NYC Midnight Short Story Challenge. I want to write a short story each month this year. There’s no place to start like January.

Finish an Open Project

I have several projects still open from 2021 and 2020. I would like to make my project list shorter. Hopefully, this month I can get some good writing in and finish something. I want to feel that high of finishing a creative project again.

Compete in NYC Midnight’s Short Story Challenge

For the second short story I write this month, I am excited to say I signed up for the NYC Midnight Short Story Challenge again. I participated last year, and had a blast. This year I’m back to do it again. Last year was fun, but hopefully I can move onto the next round and make it farther than I have in the past.

Wish me luck!

2019 Stats and 2020 Goals

Here we are again at the start of a new year and a new decade. It seems like just yesterday that it was 2019 (yes, I did make that joke). Here’s some of the cool stuff I did and created in 2019 and the statistics to go along with it, because I enjoy numbers.

In 2019 (And November and December of 2018), I wrote a grand total of 412,699 words through multiple projects. A measly 1,616 were written in December of 2019. That averages about 29K a month, which isn’t bad at all.

In 2019, I finished five projects. Deeper Than Time (book 8 of the series), The Weight of Your Lips (Fanfiction), The Kiss (the series prequel), and Inktober.

In 2019, I had a lot of great experiences, like a writing conference, revamping my blog and creating my own social media platforms.

It was an amazing year for writing, but 2020 will be better.

Here’s what I hope to accomplish in 2020:

  • Write an average of 30K per month.
  • Finish Under Grey Skies (book 9)
  • Begin editing the completed books in the series and begin querying for Girl Disappearing (book 1)
  • Publish something in 2020.

#1: Unopened

Of the several things that lay strewn under the Christmas tree the week after the holiday, the most inconspicuous was the small cardboard box.

“I know we’re over,” he had said way back in the summer when she had ended their relationship, “But I found this and it reminded me of you.”

For months, she had held onto it. Set it on her shelf and admired the festive paper, letting the curiosity eat at her, and the regret of her decisions.

It was the first present she put under the tree as soon as it was up. The small box had been tormenting her for months with its unknown contents and she swore she would open it as soon as she could, even if it was just a reminder of what she used to be, but wasn’t anymore.

When Christmas morning did arrive, the tree was so laden with presents that the small box was nearly forgotten until she began cleaning up the wrapping paper from all of the other gifts.

Christmas morning, she had gotten as far as tearing off the festive wrapping paper before the fear froze her. What if whatever the box contained changed everything?

She stared at it, under the tree for the entire week, the fear enough to eat her from the inside out. As it got closer to the new year, she told herself she would open it on New Year’s Eve and decide if it was something she wanted to keep in the new year or chuck away with the old, but as New Year’s Eve arrived she found herself pulled away to a New Year’s Party.

New Year’s Day, when she awoke, it was still under the tree.

She looked at the tree, slowly starting to dry out, and the other boxes that she had left in the rush of plans after Christmas and grabbed a trash bag. A new year meant it was time to move on.

The next hour or so, she spent breaking down boxes and crumpling up wrapping paper and tape. For the first time in a week she picked up the small cardboard box.

It was heavy in her hand for the size of the box and the memories she was sure it contained. She knew she could spend minutes, hours, days, weeks trying to figure out what was inside.

She already had.

Instead, she dropped it from her hand into the nearly full garbage bag.

Some things were better left unopened.

Trying Something New

As 2018 approaches, I’m going to be trying something new with this blog.

Lately, my writing has been lacking and I feel like these last few months I’ve just been on autopilot and not enjoying life.

For January, I’m going to try doing a blog post a day. If it works, great! I’ll continue it.

If it doesn’t work, well I tried.

I hope you all have a great new year and are looking forward to new content as much as I am.

The Importance of Goals

Without something to strive for, to work towards, we are stagnant. No matter what your preferred calling is, whether it be your occupation, your hobby, or maybe even a little of both, goals are necessary.

For several years, I have had goals, both writing goals, and goals in other areas of life. I’ve had both long and short term goals, which in some cases can be interchangable.  Sometimes, short term goals can morph into long term, or vice versa. If a long term goal feels unattainable,  break it into smaller short term goals. For example: If the goal is a burst of confidence by the end of the year it’s not something to start the first day of December. Some goals take time, and that’s not a bad thing.

Sometimes we’re not ready for our goals, we’re scared, or shy, or we don’t have the means to complete them just yet,  or the time and patience. That is perfectly fine, sometimes we have to fail a few times before we succeed. That’s part of learning and the human experience.

If we all succeeded the first time we tried something, we would never learn anything. We would not grow, or advance as a society. Failing is perfectly acceptable, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Of course, we never really want to fail, but sometimes it is inevitable. That’s why I am going to share some of my goals, both that I succeeded and failed in.

Let’s start with 2009. I was in my first year of college, trying to get through Anatomy, Psychology and College algebra. That was the first year I found out about NaNoWriMo (nanowrimo.org), which takes place in November. You know what else takes place in November? Finals. I had to make a choice between preparing for finals and writing 50,000 words, or fail both. I chose finals, and I succeeded in furthering my progress in my long term goal of nursing. Did that stop me from doing NaNoWriMo the next year?  No way!

In 2010, I got into the CNA program and succeeded.

Then I had to wait three years for my acceptance into the LVN program. Three years is a long time to wait for your goal, and for a while, I lost track of my goals. I like to call those years my “dark ages” and for good reason.

2011- I was dating a guy for most of 2011 (let’s call him Poland). Thing went well for a while, and them my feelings for him died when I met another guy who I deemed more my type (let’s call him Hilter… It’s going to be a complex metaphor). Because of the conflict the rest of my 2011 sucked and I nearly failed classes I needed for nursing school because of it. I was writing a novel at the time and I nearly didn’t finish that either.

2012- Hitler didn’t work out, so I dated Himmler for a month,  and that was like being stuck in a work camp, and after him Goebels, which was one of the worst mistakes of my life. I dropped more classes that I needed (and that counted against me later), I screwed up my sleep schedule, and I nearly jeopardized my chances of getting into the nursing program at all. I was aimless, I had forgotten my long term goals. Even my short term goals and my writing suffered.

And then 2013 came,  I got into the LVN program, and I succeeded. Sure, there were pitfalls In that year too, but there were also triumphs. I made it through all three semesters,  I wrote, I reached some short and some long term goals. I learned about myself and I was able to succeed once I put my mind to it.

2014 was even better. I worked my ass off through the RN year, I met the best man I have ever been with, who I love more than I ever thought imaginable, and I wrote ten (10!) short stories, finished a full length novel and faced my fears and submitted something to a writing contest. I could not have done any of that if I hadn’t struggled through those “dark ages”.

Goals, whether we succeed or fail, teach us something about ourselves and others.

What goals do you have?