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What Are Your April 2018 Goals?
On the first Wednesday of each month, I share my monthly goals and encourage you to in the comments. Sorry I’m a week late this month! Before I list my April 2018 goals, I’m reviewing last month’s progress.
Last Month: Jill’s March 2018 Goals
- Start putting promo together for June release.
- Expand ideas for new series.
- Expand synopsis for next proposal.
- Health: Exercise 4-5 days/week and stay in calorie range most days by tracking food via MyFitnessPal.
How did I do?
- Yes! Promo is a never-ending task. Check.
- Yes, I’m very excited about the books! Check.
- Nope, but I wrote three chapters of the book instead. Kind of check.
- Yes. I recommitted to consistency, and it worked. I feel better about myself when I’m serious about the small, daily things. Check!
Next month: 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.
***
April is intense. My son plays baseball for the high school team, and I have a lot to accomplish in the next four months. I’m excited to meet my goals. And I’m excited for you to meet YOUR goals, too!
Although it snowed yesterday, the weather is supposed to start warming up soon, and nice weather always gives me a boost! Woohoo!
How did you do last month? What would you like to accomplish this month? I’d love to hear–share in the comments!
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Jill, it’s fantastic that you met so many of your goals. I hope you’ll enjoy your son’s games in the midst of all the busyness the rest of your schedule may include.
My March goals:
1. Finish two review books and a reading challenge that ends at the end of March.
~ If I can count a review book I finished two days ago, then I got both of them finished. 🙂 I also accomplished the goal of finishing the reading challenge that ended in March. Woo-hoo!
2. Finish first draft of my current fiction WIP.
~ Nope. My knee took longer to heal than I expected, so writing didn’t happen much, other than for my blog. However, I did write and post a short story that might just break my readers’ hearts. It sure did mine! But I love the story anyway.
3. Expand devotional time to include a Bible study workbook.
~ Sort of. I did expand my devo time, but rather than a Bible study workbook, I chose to read 90 Minutes in Heaven by Don Piper. I needed it for that reading challenge, and it’s inspirational too, so I counted it as part of my devotional time. I’m glad I made that choice, because that book was totally encouraging and was a wonderful addition to my quiet time with God.
4. After knee finishes healing, use stepper 10 minutes a day, two days a week; do yoga video one day a week.
~ Nope. My knee took most of March to heal from the hyperextension experienced in early February, so I only got one 5-minute session in on the stepper at the end of the month. Hopefully I can meet some fitness goals this month.
My April goals:
1. Reading – 1 review book; 3 Kindle books; 3 physical books.
2. Writing – 30 hours (research & writing, combined) on Bible study for Camp NaNoWriMo; 1-2 short stories.
3. Spiritual – Fit in Bible study workbook 3-4 days a week; finish reading the Psalms.
4. Fitness – Two 5-minute stepper sessions each week; one 10-minute walk per week. My knee is mostly better but can get tired/sore quickly, so taking it slow to strengthen it back up and regain full range of motion is a smart thing.
Andrea, I think it’s smart to switch gears and double-duty some of your goals rather be rigid. You should be really proud of yourself for accomplishing so much! It does sound as though your knee took a turn for the worse. I’m sorry about that. I’ll pray for healing. Best wishes on this month’s goals!
Not really a turn for the worse. It was really just my underestimating how long the recovery time would be, I think. Plus, injuries like mine have different healing times for different people.
Thank you! I am happy with what I accomplished last month. Thanks for nudging me forward with these goals articles. It’s great for accountability.
I just happened to think about this!! I’m sorry I’m late posting my goals. My goals for March:
March writing goals:
1) Write every day to have pages to share with critique partners once a week-happened one week
2) Be more intentional about running-I’m back to running consistently! I run two or three days a week for 3 miles. I ran 3.5 this morning!
3) Read a craft book and take notes-didn’t happen
4) Prepare an entry for an upcoming contest-didn’t happen
5) Query an agent with a completed story-didn’t happen
But I did find another critique partner and have made a contest spreadsheet of upcoming contests I want to enter.
My goals for April:
1) Write every day to have pages to share with critique partners once a week
2) Be more intentional about running-I’m going to leave this one to make sure I do it
3) Read a craft book and take notes
4) Prepare an entry for an upcoming contest
5) Query an agent with a completed story
Let’s see how this month goes! Of course, this month is half gone already…
Go! Go! Go!! Sally, we all have goals we just don’t hit. And that’s okay. As long as we keep pushing toward them, we’re fine. What craft book are you studying? I’m rereading (and taking notes) on The Fire in Fiction by Donald Maass. Great book! I’m glad you’re running again!
Jill, thanks for keeping us on target. I did reach most of my goals for March, although not in the way I’d planned. I’d planed a rigorous fiction writing schedule, and, once again, had to work most of it around the edges of Everything Else. But it got done. The big challenge in March and early April was the first-round edits for my Last First Novel Ever, so that crowded some other things out. But that got done, sigh.
Have done better at the healthy eating and exercise thing, not where I want to be but miles ahead of Jan. and Feb.
Goals for April:
— Finish a draft of the sequel to my Oregon Trail novel.
— Work on my contemporary Christmas romance.
— Write some blog posts for the “blog post” bank.
— Home: purge the house of things we don’t want/need so it can work more efficiently.
— Health: increase my walking and salad consumption. Comfort food, thou art mine enemy.
Thanks, Jill!
Kathy Bailey
I’ve got a temp job for the rest of April, have to support my writing habit, so I’ve had to trim back the goals a little.
Oh, the Everything Else, Kathy! I hear you! I’m so glad you’re on the right track health-wise. Your goals look great! I hope you meet all of them! 🙂