Holding Myself Accountable - 2011 Resolutions Revisited

Today I don't have a Fill-Me-In-Friday for you because I've been on vacation and haven't been surfing the web and collecting links this week.

But, in the spirit of the new year rolling in this weekend, I figured I should check back in on my goals I set here on the blog at the end of last year and report on results.

So here goes...

2011 Writing Goals:

Complete Book 2 in the Exposure Therapy Loving on the Edge series way ahead of my June deadline. [Did it!]

Draft at least one additional full length novel. [only halfway there but that's because of one of the goals below]

Sell Wanderlust (the novel I finished before CRASH). [purposely put this on hold, deciding where I want to go with it]

Attend RWA Nationals in NYC. [did it!]

Attempt to write a short piece (short story or novella) --I am totally intimidated at the idea of writing anything shorter than category length (55k), but I think writing something briefer will be a good exercise for me. [Completed and sold a 30k novella to Berkley! This is also why I'm not finished book 3 this year.]

Blogging Goals:

Continue to keep up a regular blogging schedule and hopefully not bore you all. :) [kept up my blogging, you guys will have to let me know on the boring part]

Perhaps start or join a group blog and do more guest blogging. [definitely did more guest blogging and started up separate author blog]

Reading goals:

Read 40 or more books.

[Read 31, so was close. If you're interested in seeing what I read, I kept the list here.]

Personal Goals

Potty train the kiddo [Sadly, no. This MUST happen this year. Please, God.]

Be in a size ten or lower by the time I go to previously mentioned RWA Nationals. [*snort* Yeah, uh, didn't happen.]

Have a better work/life balance. [This one fluctuated. Can still get better at this.

So I won some, I lost some. Altogether, not a bad year. Now I need to think of my goals for 2012. (If I can find time to actually think of some, lol.)

So how did you do on your goals this year? What are some of your goals for the new year? Are you joining any writing or reading challenges? What goal do you most hope to accomplish?

Hope you all have a wonderful New Year! And don't forget, CRASH INTO YOU comes out this Tuesday!!! (

See here for my dorky contest

.)

Holding Myself Accountable For My 2010 Resolutions

I'm all about setting goals. I really believe that the ideas of intention and putting something out into the universe are powerful ones. So at the beginning of each year I try to set goals--some practical some stretch goals. And part of that process means that at the end of the year, you have to look back and see if you did it or not. So in the spirit of accountability, here's my post from the beginning of the year with updates on my successes and epic failures. :)

My Mostly Realistic Writing Goals

I will write 1000 words/day five days a week when I am in the rough draft phase and edit at least 10 pages a day when in editing phase.

Update: I wrote a lot, but I did not stick to this. Just like with Nano (also a fail), my muse is fussy. But I am getting better, thanks to Nano, at putting my butt in the chair anyway and trying. 

I will continue to blog five days a week as long as you guys don't up and bail on me.  :)

Update: I did this until I got an agent, then moved to three days a week. I don't see this as a fail. I'm still happy that I've stuck to a schedule and hopefully provided some decent posts over the year. :) 

I will complete and edit one category length novel and will at least write a rough draft of a full length.

Update: I ended up tackling the full length first because that's where my muse led me. So I completed, revised and submitted a 90k novel. And am 30k into a rough draft of a new one.  

My Reading Goal

I have joined the 100+ Reading Challenge.  I think I'm around the 85 mark for this year now, so I don't think is totally out there.

Update: Pfft! Epic fail. Last year I read 79 books, this year I'm sitting at 37. Kidlet gave up naps and this put a serious cramp in my schedule. But I also spent more of my reading time, writing instead. So not a total loss. :)

My Personal Goals

Eat healthier and buy organic and local when I can afford it 

Update: Did well for first half of the year, then slid off the wagon. As of last week, I'm back on Weight Watchers and planning to do better this coming year. 

Do some form of exercise that involves more than fingers flying over keys and chasing my two year old when he gets a hold of the toilet paper roll..  I just ordered a Wii Fit, so I'm hoping that actually is exercise and not just an excuse to play video games.  If anyone has one, let me know what you think.

Update: Ha! The Wii Fit has not moved in months. The Wii gets a lot of use...but only for Guitar Hero and Rock Band. (At least it relieves stress! Which is sort of a health benefit, right? o.0  Okay, okay, I'll try to do better.) 

I will not let every towel in the house get dirty before I do a load of laundry.

Update: I actually did get better at this, though not 100%.  

Potty-train my son (fun times ahead)

Update: Epic fail as well. We're still working on this. Slow-going. 

My Oprah-style, Positive Thinking, Vision Board, Putting the Universe on Notice Goals

I will figure out a way to attend the National Romance Writers of America conference in Nashville.

Update: Win! Although it turned out to be in Orlando and not Nashville. But it was amazing and so worth it and I can't wait to go to NYC this summer for the next one.

I will sell Wanderlust to a publisher.

Update: Undetermined. Harlequin is still considering my book. I hope to know something in the next month or two. :) *fingers crossed* 

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And now the totally epic, unexpected, not-listed-because-I-didn't-think-it-was-possible-this-year long-term goals that got accomplished:

1. Won multiple writing contests!

2. Landed dream agent Sara Megibow!!

3. SOLD TWO BOOKS to Berkley Heat!!!

And so, in conclusion, I DON'T CARE that I didn't meet some of the ones above. :D These last two developments totally trump it all! And proves that it's okay to do stretch goals, to dream big. No, I didn't reach every single one, but look what happened while I was striving to get there. :)

So what goals did you reach this year? Any unexpected ones that surprised you? Which ones are you still going to work on next year? What new goals are you setting for 2011? Go ahead, be bold, put it out there!

**Today's Theme Song**

"Hey Man, Nice Shot" - Filter

(player in sidebar, take a listen)