Goals: They Really Do Work!

The start of 2019 came with a lot of new challenges and opportunities. I’ve got a new 3 book contract with HQN Books. I had to finish up my last Kimani Romance novel. I decided this would be the year of saying “yes”. Not yes to more responsibility, but to more time having fun. I’m continuing to play tennis and even challenging myself by playing mixed doubles (girls and guys). I asked for the rights back to the seven books I published with Crimson Romance and got those books back! More info on that coming soon.

With everything going on I often look at my calendar and wonder how in the world am I going to do everything I want to do and keep stress levels low. I’ll be honest. It’s not easy. So far I’ve had a ton of fun (3 shows in the month of March), but I have my moments of feeling overwhelmed. Therefore, it’s important I stay on track and plan out my days sometimes to the minute.

That’s why I set goals. Daily, weekly, and monthly goals. I’m not one of those amazing planning people, but I do rely heavily on my paper planner and my various digital calendars. Every Monday morning I write down goals for the week in my planner and check my three different calendars to make sure all events, meetings, deadlines, and activities are listed on each.

From top left to right: paint night, Carolina Cup, Black Violin concert, and writing.

Nothing is too small to add to my calendar. Exercising 30-40 minutes four times a week is written down. Writing my goals makes them more real. I’ll remember that Tuesday is treadmill day and write 1,000 words day if I’ve written it down.

I’ll admit I’ve slipped sometimes on reconciling my calendar. I notice a difference when that happens. More is forgotten and I feel overwhelmed. But when I write down my work, writing, fitness, and fun goals it not only helps me know where I need to shift some items for that week, but makes it a whole lot easier to say “no” when people try to add more to my plate.

And though I’ve touched on it here, I want to reiterate how important it is to set fun goals. If you’re a writer with a full time job and family (like me) then it’s easy to go from work to writing and not have much time for the most important thing, family, in between. Schedule lunch with friends, going to a concert, date night, or even a bubble bath. Success is great, but practicing self-care should always be on your list.

Question:

Do you set goals for yourself? If so, how do you keep up with them?