Carol Moncado

Current Facebook Status: has a 3yo Superman currently dressed up as Ironman. He was Wolverine earlier. Gotta ♥ a box of superhero dress up clothes!

Currently Playing in the Background: Hannah Montana in the other room

Well, it is that time of year again.  Time to set resolutions for the next year.  I haven’t really set resolutions – not specific, measureable ones – in years.  Like Mary Connealy, I know myself and know that next year I’ll look back and be like ‘oh. Right.  I wanted to do that…’  How do I know Mary Connealy said that?  She mentioned it in the comments on Seekerville.  Because this is the topic of Seekerville‘s blog today as well.

But things are different now.  I have a blog!  And about six readers who will keep me accountable ;).  By the end of the year, maybe I’ll have that doubled to twelve.  Hey, you never know!

So this year, I’m making resolutions and setting clear, measureable goals.  They go together.  Many of them revolve around developing a career as an author, but not all do.  Some are goals in and of themselves, some have sub-goals.  My plan is this: to set annual goals, each month break them down into monthly goals and from there, each week.

So what are they?

1.    Do my Bible study every day by the end of the year.
–      Just jumping into it and saying ‘every day! This week!’ is unrealistic.  I’ll start with a goal of say 2 days a week and grow it from there.

2.    Blog.  Three times a week.  Every week.  Or at least a note why I won’t be blogging that day. The three weekly topics:
a.    Monday Musings: News, Notes and Nuttiness [yes, the third alliteration needs work ;)].  It’s what it sounds like – any news or random thoughts I had in the week prior as well as my goals for the current week [based on these annual goals].
b.    What I read Wednesday – just what it sounds like ;).  Book reviews =D.
c.    Flash Fiction Friday – continue with the FFF with Jan and Andrea

3.    Go to ACFW‘s conference in St. Louis this September.  Meet people.  Meet Julie Lessman.  Because we all know I ♥ Julie ;).

4.    Date night – at least every other month with my honey.

 

 

5.    Lose 125lbs by 3/2012 [yes, I know that’s more than a year ;).  There’s a reason for that goal =D.  No, I’m not saying specifically why.]
a.    Lose 20lbs by 3/11
b.    Lose 40lbs by 6/11
c.    Lose 60 lbs by 9/11 [and ACFW!]
d.    Lose 100 lbs by 12/31/11

6.    Exercise daily – that means at least 6 days a week – also, RUN a 5K

7.    Develop and make habitual house cleaning/other routines

8.    More fun stuff as a family – game night at least twice a month; Wii Fit/Resort Fun Night the other two weeks

The rest are more writing related…

9.    Finish first drafts of at least five manuscripts
a.    Liz [already at 53K]
b.    Nick/Debbie [already over 50K]
c.    Nate
d.    Two Jasmine novels [one is nearly 50K]
e.    Something completely new for NaNoWriMo

10.  Complete/finished/”final” draft of 3 manuscripts
a.    Liz
b.    Nick/Debbie
c.    Nate – or maybe one of the Jasmines

11.  Contests – enter them 😉
a.    Enter two manuscripts in Genesis – Unbreak Her Heart and Nick/Debbie [and give it a title :p]
b.    Join RWA
c.    Enter RWA contests 😉
d.    Enter at least one MS in RWA’s Golden Heart
e.    Enter Great Expectations again [entering the first time this week]
f.    Try to enter at least one contest at least every other month [those above are the biggie annual ones – at least the ones I know of]

12.  Read 4 books a month.  For research.  Yep.  That’s it.  Plus one non-fiction or craft book.

13.  Query
a.    Research agents, editors/houses who accept unsolicited manuscripts
b.    Query those agents with UHH
c.    Query those agents with Nick/Debbie

14.  Always remember Why I Do What I Do:
So there you have it.  Ten Eleven Twelve Thirteen Fourteen clear, measureable goals.  Note that I didn’t put ‘find an agent’ or ‘get published’.  Why not?  Because, to a degree, those things are out of my control.  I can polish and send all the manuscripts in the world to Jeff Gerke, but odds are, he’s not going to publish me.  Why?  Because I don’t write stuff he’d be interested in.  All I can do is find out which agents/editors/houses/etc. would suit me and my manuscripts and submit to them.  From there it’s out of my hands.

Note that ‘potty training Christopher’ also isn’t on there :p.  That one is also completely out of my hands…

Now, goals for today/this week:

1.     Finish getting Great Expectations entry ready
2.    Finish polishing Unbreak Her Heart and submit to the editor who requested it at HACWN
3.    Clean house, finish getting Christmas decorations put up
4.    Get ready for Narnia marathon tonight
5.    New Year’s Eve shindig at our house
6.    Laundry – done AND put up

Right now… This is calling my name…