Let’s Set Monthly Goals {January 2020}

Let's Set Goals: January 2020 Jillkemerer.com/blog

I’m big on setting goals. By listing them and breaking them down into manageable chunks, I accomplish more than I could imagine. My process is to set monthly goals, then at the beginning of each week, I create daily goals that will work within my current schedule.

It’s really satisfying to check off my list each day. Last year I took the extra step of reviewing my week. I like to do this in a small journal on Sundays. The added bonus? It’s now a little time-capsule I can refer back to when I moan that I’m getting nothing done!

So now that the new month, new year, and new decade have arrived, are you feeling confident? Ambitious? I am! Let’s go back to December and see how I did.

How Did I Do? Jill’s December 2019 Goals:

  • WRITING:
  • Polish the third book in the Wyoming Sweethearts series and send it to my editor. CHECK
  • Revise/polish proposal and send to agent. NO CHECK
  • HEALTH:
  • Exercise 5 days/week. CHECK
  • Log calories using MyFitnessPal. CHECK
  • Attempt to implement homemade chia pudding as a snack. CHECK. (It’s kind of gross, though.)
  • OTHER:
  • Christmas shopping!! CHECK
  • Check out Christmas lights somewhere. The Toledo Zoo has an amazing display, but the crowds and traffic make me iffy! NO CHECK. I couldn’t handle the crowds this year!
  • Watch Hallmark Christmas movies and read the Christmas novels I bought! CHECK

I also took TWO WHOLE WEEKS OFF from work and social media! It was fantastic! The first week was all things Christmas and extended family. The second week was relaxing and cleaning out the scary closets in our house.

Jill’s January 2020 Goals:

  • WRITING:
  • Expand the plot, write the long synopsis, and draft the sample chapters of the fourth book in the Wyoming Sweethearts series.
  • Revise/polish proposal and send to agent.
  • Continue gathering ideas for new series.
  • All the first of the year business tasks.
  • HEALTH:
  • Exercise 5 days/week.
  • Log calories using MyFitnessPal.
  • OTHER:
  • Prepare presentation for speaking engagement at the end of January.
  • Read fiction for a minimum of 20 minutes every weekday. (I read tons of nonfiction and want to get more novels in!)

I love the new year! I hope you have a healthy, successful beginning to 2020! Please leave your goals in the comments!

Jill Kemerer’s Year in Review {2019}

Jill Kemerer's Year In Review 2019

Every December I try to look back and remember what I’ve accomplished. Usually, it involves some head-scratching. Sometimes I give up because I don’t feel like going through my planner to figure out what I did. But this year, it was pretty easy.

I have yet to meet a writer who is 100% satisfied with what they’ve accomplished for the year. I’ll admit, I’m hard on myself, too. I always overestimate how much time I have and underestimate how long things actually take me. By things I mean writing, revising, and promo. Definitely promo!

When I reviewed 2019, I was pleasantly surprised.

Jill Kemerer’s 2019 Year in Review

Books Written:

  1. Her Cowboy Till Christmas
  2. The Cowboy’s Secret
  3. The Cowboy’s Christmas Triplets

Books Released:

  1. A Meddled Match
  2. His Wyoming Baby Blessing
  3. Western Christmas Wishes (w/Brenda Minton)
  4. Her Cowboy Till Christmas

Books Plotted:

  1. Book one in an untitled series
  2. Book two in an untitled series
  3. Book three in an untitled series
  4. The Cowboy’s Christmas Triplets

Speaking Engagements:

  1. January: Exquisite Planning
  2. April: Exquisite Planning
  3. June: Secrets of Writing for Harlequin
  4. November: Creativity Workshop

Other:

  • President of Maumee Valley Romance Authors, Inc.
  • First romance story published in Woman’s World Magazine
  • Wrote the proposal for book one in untitled series

These three pictures sum up my writing life! The commute, the coffee, and the writing buddy.

I’m gearing up to plan 2020. I bought a new planner (!!), and I have a date planned with two close writer friends to discuss and set our goals for next year. I can’t wait!

The year-in-review exercise? I highly recommend looking back at what you accomplished. It’s easy to forget all the things we did!

Do you review your accomplishments for the year? Care to share them? Leave a comment!

And bless you during these final days leading up to Christmas!

What Are Your Goals? {Nov 2019}

November 2019 Goals. Jill Kemerer. Blog

November is here! Only two months left of 2019–and I am ready to crush them. October was good. I pushed myself to finish the draft of my current project. Whenever I felt like stopping early, I’d think of Thanksgiving and Christmas and how much I want to enjoy the holidays. It motivated me!

Sometimes having a reason to finish early makes all the difference.

Let’s take a look at my October goals and how I did. Then I’ll share my November goals. Please leave YOUR goals in the comments!

Jill’s October 2019 Goals: How Did I Do?

  • WRITING:
  • Draft 50 pages of a new story. Check.
  • Continue drafting current project. Double check–I finished the draft!
  • Set up promo for December release, Her Cowboy Till Christmas. Check.
  • Promote Western Christmas Wishes, in stores October 15! Check. This was easy. I love having a new book in stores.
  • HEALTH: (Long-term goal – Lose 10 pounds)
  • Track calories 6 days/week with MyFitnessPal. Check, but my weight fluctuated all month.
  • Exercise 5 days/week. Check. I’m enjoying this routine. I do five different workouts each week.
  • Eat more high protein and high fiber foods. Half Check. Three weeks into the month I got really frustrated and decided to ignore the fiber. I’ve been a much nicer person ever since. 🙂
  • OTHER:
  • Check out a local park I’ve never been to. No check, but I did go to two other parks to see the fall colors!
  • Read the Jody Hedlund novel I ordered. No check. The book didn’t come in. 🙁 I’ve reordered it.
  • Watch Halloween Baking Championship (because it makes me happy!). Check!

Jill’s November 2019 Goals:

  • WRITING:
  • Revise/polish proposal and send to agent.
  • Promote Her Cowboy Till Christmas, releasing November 19!
  • Content edit the draft I wrote in October.
  • HEALTH:
  • Exercise 5 days/week.
  • Log calories using MyFitnessPal.
  • Eat more produce!
  • OTHER:
  • Make a Christmas list.
  • Start buying presents.
  • Read one novel.
  • Check out the newly remodeled Main Library in downtown Toledo.

November is a shorter month for me since we celebrate Thanksgiving with family over a long weekend. I will be following VERY detailed weekly plans all month.

I’m cheering you on! Let’s make the most of this month!

What are your November goals? Leave a comment!

Stop back next month to see how I did and what I plan to do next. Have a fabulous day!

What Are Your Goals?{October 2019}

October 2019 Goals Jill Kemerer Blog

It’s time to set monthly goals again! I didn’t plan on taking a summer blog break, but I’m glad I did. Both of my kids are seniors this year. One is a senior in high school and the other is a senior in college. I had my hands full getting ready for this!

With the change of seasons brought a return to my routine. I do love having a routine! I’ve changed the goal format slightly by breaking my goals into three categories: writing, health, and other. I hope you will share yours with me in the comments!

Jill’s October 2019 Goals

  • HEALTH: (Long-term goal – Lose 10 pounds)
  • Track calories 6 days/week with MyFitnessPal
  • Exercise 5 days/week
  • Eat more high protein and high fiber foods
  • OTHER:
  • Check out a local park I’ve never been to
  • Read the Jody Hedlund novel I ordered
  • Watch Halloween Baking Championship (because it makes me happy!)

October is usually an ambitious month for me, and this one is no different. I like to push myself before the holidays distract me.

What are your October goals? Leave a comment!

Stop back next month to see how I did and what I plan to do next. Have a fabulous day!

April 2019 Goals!

April 2019 Goals! Jill Kemerer

Spring is almost here! Northern Ohio is notoriously fickle with weather throughout April. We might have a sixty-degree day, or we might have snow. You never know!

But the promise of warmer weather is here, and soon we’ll see yellow daffodils, bright tulips, and flowers on the trees. I’m excited!

It’s time to review and set our goals. March felt like a whirlwind to me. I’m kind of glad. It’s always so dreary and cold–I’m glad it’s over.

Jill’s March 2019 Goals

  • Copy edits for Christmas novella
  • Expand plot for book 2 in the Love Inspired cowboy series
  • Draft proposal for book 2 in the Love Inspired cowboy series
  • Set up promo for His Wyoming Baby Blessing
  • Health: Track calories, meet fiber goals, exercise 5 days/week

How did I do?

  • Copy edits for Christmas novella: CHECK
  • Expand plot for book 2 in the Love Inspired cowboy series: CHECK (I still have some synopsis work to do for this, though.)
  • Draft proposal for book 2 in the Love Inspired cowboy series: NO CHECK. I’m still shy two scenes. Then the entire thing will need to be revised and polished.
  • Set up promo for His Wyoming Baby Blessing. CHECK
  • Health: Track calories, meet fiber goals, exercise 5 days/week. NO CHECK. I stopped tracking calories, and I’m maintaining my weight.

Jill’s April 2019 Goals

  • Finish writing, revising and polishing the proposal for book 2 in the Love Inspired cowboy series.
  • Promote His Wyoming Baby Blessing, releasing April 16!
  • Prep for speaking engagement: I’m giving an Exquisite Planning workshop to Central Ohio Fiction Writers!
  • Health: Meet fiber goals, exercise 5 days/week.

What are your April 2019 goals? I’d love to hear them!

The RESORT TO ROMANCE SERIES is still going strong! Yesterday, Match Me If You Can by Krista Phillips released! It’s only $0.99 until next Tuesday!

Links to all the books can be found at my RESORT TO ROMANCE page. Have a terrific week!

What Are Your March 2019 Goals?

March Goals 2019 Jill Kemerer #ww

March is here! Does this mean spring is coming soon? I hope so! It regularly snows here through mid-April, so I won’t hold my breath! In the meantime, I’ve been busy writing. Let’s review and set goals.

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 I do last month?

  • Revise and submit Wyoming Twins Christmas Reunion – CHECK!
  • Promote A Meddled Match – CHECK!
  • Health: Track calories, meet fiber goals, exercise 5 days/week -NOPE–NO CHECK.

In addition to my goals, I revised a novella and worked on art sheets for a cover. It was a very productive month! I let my health goals slide (again), but I still exercised three days a week, added fiber, and kept my calories in line.

Jill’s March 2019 Goals

  • Copy edits for Christmas novella
  • Expand plot for book 2 in the Love Inspired cowboy series
  • Draft proposal for book 2 in the Love Inspired cowboy series
  • Set up promo for His Wyoming Baby Blessing
  • Health: Track calories, meet fiber goals, exercise 5 days/week

How did you do last month? Do you work well this time of year? I usually get a lot done in these cold/rainy/snowy months.

What are your March goals?

The 10 Weeks of Romance Giveaway is still going strong! A winner is selected each week, and the prizes accumulate. The grand prize is all ten Resort to Romance novellas and a $150 Amazon gift card! Go to my HOME page and scroll down for the entry options!

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!

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