A new year and new goals
Over the last month, I’ve spent a good deal of time planning for 2019. With a great deal on my plate, I felt like I needed a solid plan and schedule. It’s not finalized yet, but I plan to have that done in the next week. It feels amazing to have identified some specific and measureable goals as well as a method for tracking success.
There are times I’ve found myself doing one activity after another without stopping to ask myself if the task I’m performing gets me closer to where I want to be. Inevitably, that leads me to the question… Where exactly DO I want to be?
There is huge power in the written word.
In this, I’m referring to the business and marketing planning side of writing. The power comes from the effort that it takes to get the words of the plan put together. It focuses your mind so that you can clearly understand what you are doing in your work.
Writing is fun and creative.
That’s where we all start. The storytelling aspect of this business is what entices each and every creative person. Diving into a character, a world, the arc of a story, those are the things that we lose ourselves in. Unfortunately, as with anything, it is a rare thing that one is able to simply focus on those aspects of the craft. In 2019, I’ve decided to dedicate time to the fun and creative while also blocking out time to focus on the aspects that might get my voice into the world. It’s daunting, but it brings a ball of energy into my being.
How do you define success?
This was a question that was surprisingly tough for me. I don’t expect that writing will replace my current career, so what does it mean to be successful in this area? Writing is a lifelong passion, and I do want my writing to carry into my retirement some years down the road. Therefore, I’ve outlined some longer term goals that give me the breathing room to control my anxiety around if anyone has picked up my latest book.
Not a “Resolution,” but a “Plan for 2019!”
While I am wishing my readers a happy new year with this post, my musings are not about a new year’s resolution. If you follow my blog, you will likely see me posting about the business side of being an independent author on a regular basis–at least once per month. That is part of my measurable plan. In essence, I’ve turned my project management skills to my passion. It’s exciting, and it’s freeing.