Over on Wicked Authors this week, I gave a blend of the goals I had for 2013. I’d like to take a moment to really elaborate on them, since some of them are important to me.
1. Run more for exercise. Okay, think about running more. 
I’m beginning boot camp this week with historical author Jeannie Lin. So far, I’ve survived the first day and look forward to the challenges to come. I haven’t experienced the pain yet of waking up tomorrow with sore muscles so let’s see how this goes. I still plan to run more, and the boot camp is the first step to be fit enough to do a quality run.
2. Clean out my office. (Will take a while)
My office gets cleaned out every couple of months. It needs it every single time. I have papers and books all over the place that need a home. I try to think of new ways to keep the space from getting cluttered, but its rather hard. I’ve even caught myself looking for something and then thinking, oh, I’ll pick up what I take out later. *sigh* (Much later.) I hope I’m not the only one with this problem
3. Write two novellas next year.
I look forward to adding more stories to the Coveted universe in the coming months. This spring, I will be releasing Aggie’s story. My goal is to focus and make sure I do the best job possible.
4. Write two full-length novels next year.
Ditto above. I have plenty of ideas in my head. It’s all about sitting down and breathing life into new characters. I do know it’s easier said than done. I’ve had periods of time where I haven’t written. But my time during the day is different now. I can leave the house and work at a coffee shop so I can focus on my work and not the house or my part-time work.
5. Go see a new place I’ve never been to before with my family.
I don’t travel much. Except for conferences. But I’d love to do something fun with my family like see Mt Rushmore or some other site for families with children. There is a whole world out there and I’d love to see more of it.
6. Complete my first iTunes application. (Yes, I’m that much of a nerd.)
When I have spare time (cue laughing) I love to program and create new things. This goal was one from last year that I failed to accomplish. With two book releases, that was hard. But this year, my schedule is a lot more open, so far, and I’d like to explore what I can do to create a game.
7. Throw away fives things in my house and giveaway five things.
I love the FlyLady. I even used to shine my sink every day to keep the sink shiny. Not so much during deadline though. After writing about a hoarding werewolf, I’ve found I really like clearing out useless junk. This year will be no different. More broken toys are going bye bye (mysteriously vanishing), old clothes are getting tossed (you know that one shirt you never wear), and those useless knicks are getting gifted or throw out.
8. Do something for myself like a massage day. (Easy to forget as a mom.)
Can you believe I’ve never had a massage? I can’t! I plan to remedy this problem–this year. I get my hair done and pedicures. Why not a massage!
9. Spend more time studying Russian like I used to.
Back when I had spare time (still laughing about having ‘spare time’) I studying foreign languages. I’d like to devote at least a half hour each day to one language I’d like to keep up. I watch enough k-dramas to hear Korean all the time, but I need to hear Russian more often as well as some of the other languages I studied.
10. Schedule my time during the day to avoid getting distracted. (Oh, look shiny!)
A few weeks ago, my crit partner Amanda Berry recommended I download 30/30 to manage my time better. It’s quite handy and a free app! Basically, I put in my tasks for the day and set each for 30 minutes or more. It usually goes like this for:
- 30 minutes to work on a client’s WordPress theme
- 30 minutes to do a chore
- 30 minutes for foreign language study
- 15 minutes for chores
- 1 hour to work on a client’s website
That’s it! I just hit a button to switch tasks. It’s a reminder of what I need to do that day and if I want social media time, I can toss that in there too.
So, are any of my goals similar to yours? What plans do you have this year?
