What are Your February 2019 goals?

What Are Your February Goals? Jill Kemerer Blog

Well, that went by quick! After last week’s Polar Vortex, I’m thankful February is here. The sooner winter is over, the better!

January was a blur of planning, busy work, and writing a first draft. February, for me, will be all about two things: launching the Resort to Romance series and revising a contracted Love Inspired book. Oh, and roses and chocolates…Valentine’s Day will be here soon!

First, let’s see how I did with last month’s goals.

Jill’s January 2019 Goals

  • Finalize A Meddled Match: Resort to Romance Series to prepare for February launch! This includes setting up promo, sending out ARCs, uploading to Amazon, etc…
  • Replot and draft rest of book one in the new Love Inspired series! It’s now going to be a Christmas book releasing this December. Aaah!
  • I’m the 2019 president of Maumee Valley Romance Authors, Inc. and need to do several administrative tasks to start the year off right.
  • Health: Log calories daily in MyFitnessPal, stay within calorie range, workout for 30 minutes 4+ days/week.

How did I do?

  • A Meddled Match is ready to go! CHECK
  • Book one (working title is Wyoming Twins Christmas Reunion) is drafted. It needs A LOT of work! CHECK
  • MVRAI administrative tasks? Yep. These will be ongoing throughout the year, but I’m off to a good start. CHECK
  • Health. *Giggling* Okay, three weeks I stayed on track. Last week? Nope. NO CHECK

Jill’s February 2019 Goals

  • Revise and submit Wyoming Twins Christmas Reunion
  • Promote A Meddled Match
  • Health: Track calories, meet fiber goals, exercise 5 days/week.

How did you do last month? What are your February goals?

Have a terrific day!

What are Your January 2019 Goals?

What Are Your 2019 January Goals? JillKemerer.com/blog

January 2019 Goals

Happy New Year!!

I’ll be honest, Monday was a rude awakening for me. I’d been playing catch up on administrative and marketing tasks for five days straight, and guess what? Monday was another full day of it. *waaahh!!* *crying face*

That’s the writing life, though. It’s not all writing!

So how was your Christmas? What did you enjoy the most? Or did you have a hard holiday? Some years are like that.

I was not my optimistic self this December. Sometimes I just get gloomy for no apparent reason. I babied myself. Read a lot. Watched Holiday Baking Championship on Food Network. Spent a lot of time with distant family members (yay!). Oh, and I took the month off from tracking calories. The nice thing? I’m in a good groove with my eating habits and only gained a few pounds over Christmas week which promptly disappeared as soon as I resumed my normal diet. I have noticed my back aches more when I don’t work out at least three days a week, so I’m thankful to be back on track with my DVDs.

Let’s see how I did last month.

Jill’s December 2018 Goals:

  • Revise and polish Christmas novella.
  • Finish Christmas shopping.
  • Take time off after the novella is finished to refill the creative well.
  • Create my 2019 Production Plan.
  • Workout 4 days/week and stay in calorie range most days until Christmas week, when we have 70-billion parties with decadent food!

How did I do?

  • Christmas novella revise and polish? CHECK! Finished it early. Woohoo!
  • Finish Christmas shopping: CHECK! Took me until right before Christmas Eve, but I did it.
  • Take time off to fill creative well. SORT OF CHECK. I took time off, read, relaxed, but I didn’t really do much to fill my well. It was more like crashing and burning…
  • 2019 Production Plan? CHECK! I’ll tweak it each month, but I’m happy with the overall plan.
  • Health stuff. NO CHECK. I did NOT workout 4 days/week. My body is scolding me!

Jill’s January 2019 Goals

  • Finalize A Meddled Match: Resort to Romance Series to prepare for February launch! This includes setting up promo, sending out ARCs, uploading to Amazon, etc…
  • Replot and draft rest of book one in the new Love Inspired series! It’s now going to be a Christmas book releasing this December. Aaah!
  • I’m the 2019 president of Maumee Valley Romance Authors, Inc. and need to do several administrative tasks to start the year off right.
  • Health: Log calories daily in MyFitnessPal, stay within calorie range, workout for 30 minutes 4+ days/week.

Side note: My health goals are the same each month. I know some of you are trying to get healthy this year. Two years ago I made the decision to stick to a lower calorie diet without drastically changing what I ate. I also committed to exercising 4-5 days per week. Within six months, I’d lost 20 pounds. Ever since, I’ve consistently kept off 15 pounds. Last year my weight fluctuated 3-4 pounds on any given month, but I stayed below the 15-pound loss mark. I’m happy with that!

I’m not telling you this to brag–I’m telling you it CAN be done. I realize we all have different struggles. You may have significantly more weight to lose or you just can’t seem to take off the last five pounds. You might have physical issues preventing you from certain exercises or foods. I get it. I still want to encourage you. Small decisions every day add up to big results. For me, being consistent has made ALL the difference.

How did you do last month? What are your January goals?

Have a terrific day!

December 2018 Goals, New Contract and Final Day of Giveaway!

New Contract, Goals And Final Day Of Giveaway, Jillkemerer.com/blog

There’s a yawning hole where last Wednesday’s blog post was supposed to be. Where was my head at? Who knows? But I’ve remedied it today. December goals are important! You’ll find mine below along with how I did with my November goals.

Before we get to that…

Since my brain clearly went AWOL after Thanksgiving, I’m also sharing the good news you may have seen on Facebook, Instagram or if you’re a newsletter subscriber. I recently signed another four-book contract with Love Inspired! Yeehaw! All four books will be set in the fictional town of Rendezvous, Wyoming, and the first book releases next Christmas. I’m really excited!

Also, today is the final day of the big 12 Days of Christmas giveaway. Twelve inspirational authors give away prizes each day, and they accumulate. Today’s winner will receive each of the previous day’s prizes PLUS their choice of either a $150 Amazon gift card or a 1-year Gold subscription to Audible! WOWZA!! If you haven’t entered, you can find the entry form HERE! (US only)

Okay, goal time! Let’s see what my goals were last month…

Jill’s November 2018 Goals:

  • Draft rest of Christmas novella and revise it for plot issues.
  • Finish up marketing and promo for various projects.
  • Submit one freelance project.
  • Health: Work out M-F at 8am, log calories, stay within calorie range.

How did I do?

  • Draft rest of Christmas novella and revise it for plot issues. Check! I finished the draft before Thanksgiving, and revised for plot issues the following week.
  • Finish up marketing and promo for various projects. Check! Is it terrible to admit I’m glad I have promo off my plate for another month? Haha!
  • Submit one freelance project. Check! Last month was good!
  • Health: Work out M-F at 8am, log calories, stay within calorie range. Check! An unfortunate bout with stomach flu kept me from working out for the better part of a week, but the rest of the month, I stayed on track.

Jill’s December 2018 Goals:

  • Revise and polish Christmas novella.
  • Finish Christmas shopping.
  • Take time off after the novella is finished to refill the creative well.
  • Create my 2019 Production Plan.
  • Workout 4 days/week and stay in calorie range most days until Christmas week, when we have 70-billion parties with decadent food!

What about you? How did you do last month? What would you like to accomplish this month?

I’d love to hear your goals! Leave a comment!

Looking for a short, heartwarming Christmas read? Try my novella, Sugarplums and Second Chances. Only 99 cents on Kindle (linked)!

What Are Your November Goals?

What Are Your November Goals? Jill Kemerer Blog

I’ve actually been enjoying the blustery, overcast weather. Winter will be here with the snap of my fingers, so I will take the windy, rainy weather since it comes with yellow, rust, and fiery orange leaves.

Okay, so it’s time for goals. How did you all do last month? Are any of you doing NaNoWriMo? I don’t do NaNo. November is packed full for me, and adding the pressure of 50,000 words would send me over the edge! But I love cheering on my friends who do it, so if you are, I salute you!

Let’s get to goals! First I’ll share my October ones and how I did. Then I’ll set my new ones. Ready?

 

Jill’s October 2018 Goals:

  • Start writing Christmas novella
  • Line-edit and polish February novella
  • Final edits, His Wyoming Baby Blessing, Wyoming Cowboys Book 4
  • Put Sugarplums and Second Chances up for preorder (previously released novella)
  • Submit two freelance projects
  • Health: Work out M-F at 8am to exercise DVDs, log calories, stay within range.

How did I do?

  • Start writing Christmas novella? Yes. But only by the hair of my chinny-chin-chin. I got about 2500 words in. It counts! Check.
  • Line edit and polish February novella? Check.
  • Final edits for His Wyoming Baby Blessing?  Check.
  • Put Sugarplums and Second Chances up for preorder? Check.
  • Submit two freelance projects? I only submitted one. No check.
  • Health: Yes, I actually stuck to it! Woohoo!! CHECK!!

Jill’s November 2018 Goals:

  • Draft rest of Christmas novella and revise it for plot issues.
  • Finish up marketing and promo for various projects.
  • Submit one freelance project.
  • Health: Work out M-F at 8am, log calories, stay within calorie range.

How did you do with your October goals? Do you want to set new ones? Please share in the comments.

Be realistic about this month with Thanksgiving and the Christmas season soon approaching!

Best wishes to you!

What are Your October 2018 Goals?

What Are Your October 2018 Goals? Jill Kemerer Blog

October already? I feel like I blinked and missed September! And you know what that means–blink twice and Christmas will be here. We’ll have to make the most of the days we have between now and 2019!

How did your September go? Mine rocked. Buckle up!

{Please share your progress and new goals in the comments!}

Jill’s September 2018 Goals:

  • Revise the novella (February 2019 release).
  • Plot a Christmas novella.
  • Create a production plan for the remaining months in 2018. (If you’re new to production plans, check out my post “Creating a Production Plan.”)
  • Take notes on four more sessions of the online writing course I’m taking.
  • Health: Workout DVDs at 8am Monday-Thursday, log calories every day and stay within calorie range.

How Did I Do?

  • Revise the novella? Check! Line-editing and polishing, here I come.
  • Plot a Christmas novella. Check!
  • Create a production plan for rest of 2018. Double Check! I not only created a production plan, I created an entirely new approach to my schedule, and I couldn’t be more excited about it.
  • Take notes on four more sessions of the online writing course: Check! I’m enjoying the class so much, I ended up studying eight sessions. Score!
  • Health: Check! It’s about time…I think it’s been four months since I met this particular goal. Feels good to have a win!

Jill’s October 2018 Goals:

  • Start writing Christmas novella
  • Line-edit and polish February novella
  • Final edits, His Wyoming Baby Blessing, Wyoming Cowboys Book 4
  • Put Sugarplums and Second Chances up for preorder (previously released novella)
  • Submit two freelance projects
  • Health: Work out M-F at 8am to exercise DVDs, log calories, stay within range.

I have a lot of nitty-gritty work this month. I’m looking forward to it!

What about you? What are you working on? Share in the comments!

Join me today at Seekerville for my tips on how you know if an idea is book-worthy! There’s a giveaway, too!

What are Your September 2018 Goals?

Four more months–just four more months until 2019. Sobering, isn’t it?

I’m excited, though. It gives me plenty of time to work on new projects. All the fun holidays are coming up, too, so I’ll be motivated to finish projects early. Now that my fall schedule is in place, I’ll be blogging every Wednesday. Goals will be the first Wednesday of the month.

Before we get to September goals, I want to bring your attention to two things.

1.Melissa Henderson’s adorable children’s book Licky the Lizard is available now! It would make a super cute Christmas gift.

Licky the Lizard by Melissa Henderson

2. To celebrate Wyoming Christmas Quadruplets, my eighth Love Inspired novel releasing next week, I’m hosting a giveaway until September 30 (US residents only) and would love for you to enter! Click HERE and scroll down for the easy entry options.

Okay, back to goals…how did I do last month? Let’s see!

Jill’s August 2018 Goals:

  • Set up promotion for Wyoming Christmas Quadruplets, releasing September 18, 2018.
  • Plot and begin writing a novella–part of a fun collection releasing in February 2019.
  • Relax and enjoy time off with my family!
  • Health: Exercise 4-5 days/week. Track calories every weekday and stay within calorie range.

How Did I Do?

  • Set up promo? Check! I still need to create a few graphics, but the heavy hitting is done.
  • Plot and begin writing a novella? Check! I finished drafting it yesterday, and it was a LOT of fun!
  • Relax and enjoy family? Check! This was the easiest goal of the month and desperately needed. 🙂
  • Health? For three months running, this got a NO Check. Needless to say, I plan on changing that.

Jill’s September 2018 Goals:

  • Revise the novella (February 2019 release).
  • Plot a Christmas novella.
  • Create a production plan for the remaining months in 2018. (If you’re new to production plans, check out my post “Creating a Production Plan.”)
  • Take notes on four more sessions of the online writing course I’m taking.
  • Health: Workout DVDs at 8am Monday-Thursday, log calories every day and stay within calorie range.

How did you do? Please share your goals in the comments!

Allie Pleiter and I wrote a blog post Monday on Ladies of Love Inspired that might help you stay on track–“Top 3 Tips to Stay Productive This Fall.” Check it out!

What Are Your August 2018 Goals?

August 2018 Goals - Jillkemerer.com/blog

It’s that time again! It’s been a busy summer, and I haven’t been blogging much, but I LOVE seeing your goals! You all motivate me. I’ll review my plan for last month, share how I did, then state my new goals! Please share yours in the comments.

Jill’s July 2018 Goals:

  • Content edit, revise and polish the fourth Wyoming Cowboys book.
  • Revise and polish the three-book proposal drafted in June.
  • Health–exercise 4-5 days/week, track calories, stay within range.

How Did I Do?

  • Content edit, revise and polish the fourth Wyoming Cowboys book. CHECK! It felt GREAT to submit it!
  • Revise and polish the three-book proposal drafted in June. CHECK! Woohoo!
  • Health–exercise 4-5 days/week, track calories, stay within range. NO CHECK. Wah-wah. For two weeks, I stopped tracking calories, and I averaged only 3 exercise days per week all month. *sad face*

Jill’s August 2018 Goals:

  • Set up promotion for Wyoming Christmas Quadruplets, releasing September 18, 2018.
  • Plot and begin writing a novella–part of a fun collection releasing in February 2019.
  • Relax and enjoy time off with my family!
  • Health: Exercise 4-5 days/week. Track calories every weekday and stay within calorie range.

What were your goals? How did you do? What would you like to accomplish this August?

Enjoy!

What Are Your July 2018 Goals?

Jill Kemerer's July 2018 Goals

I hope you had a fun-filled first week of July! It’s time to share our goals. I’ll start it off by reviewing what my June goals were, how I did, and what I’m aiming for in July.

Jill’s June 2018 Goals:

  • Finish plotting three books and write short synopses for each.
  • Write sample chapters for book one.
  • Health–exercise 4-5 days/week, track calories using MyFitnessPal app and stay within calorie range.

How did I do?

  • Finish plotting 3 books and write short synopses for each? CHECK! I was thrilled to finish them up.
  • Write sample chapters for book one? CHECK. Drafted. Needs to be revised–yay!
  • Health–exercise 4-5 days/week, track calories, stay within range? HALF CHECK. I did okay on the exercising, but the calorie tracking went bye-bye a few times!

Jill’s July 2018 Goals:

  • Content edit, revise and polish the fourth Wyoming Cowboys book.
  • Revise and polish the three-book proposal drafted in June.
  • Health–exercise 4-5 days/week, track calories, stay within range.

My writing goals have been heavy for months, so I’m looking forward to posting lighter goals in August!

How did you do last month?

What do you want to accomplish in July?

If you’re heading to the RWA conference in Denver, check out my article at Pink Heart Society for some tips! It’s linked HERE, “RWA Conference Trip Tips.”

Have a terrific day!

What are Your May 2018 Goals?

Sharing May 2018 Goals! Jillkemerer.com/blog

Every month I share my new goals and let you know on how I did with my previous month’s goals. Here’s my update!

Jill’s April 2018 Goals:

  • Revise, polish and submit the proposal due later this month.
  • Prep and speak at Researching the Romance symposium sponsored by BGSU’s Browne Pop Culture Library.
  • Type background materials for a side project.
  • Continue preparing for June release by sending advance reader copies to street team.
  • Draft a short story that’s been running around in my head.
  • Health: Exercise 4-5 days/week and stay in calorie range most days by tracking food via MyFitnessPal.

How did I do?

  • I revised, polished and submitted the proposal. Check!
  • Prepped and spoke at Researching the Romance. Check!
  • Typed background materials. Check!
  • Sent advance reader copies out. Check!
  • Draft the short story. Not even close. NO check!
  • Health. I had some serious stress last month. While I stayed steady with exercising, I didn’t log my calories for over a week. No check!

Jill’s May 2018 Goals:

  • Finish drafting the fourth Wyoming Cowboys book.
  • Finalize all promo for Reunited with the Bull Rider. This means writing guest posts, creating graphics, contacting media, etc…
  • Begin plotting new series.
  • Health: Exercise 4-5 days/week AND stay at low end of calorie range to lose a few pounds.

 

How did YOU do?

Leave a comment! I love reading your goals. You inspire me!

Have you entered my giveaway? Go to my Reunited with the Bull Rider Giveaway BLOG post (linked) and scroll down for the easy entry options!

 

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