How would I sum up February goal setting?

Still going strong with a slight taper…

It’s only been a couple of months but again, knowing that I’m being accountable here is helping. I’m checking more what my goals are and trying to stick to them whereas previously they would be quite vague and I’d have a look at them somewhere around the end of the year.

Annual Goal: Read 6 x non-fiction books.
February Goal: Finish Save the Cat
I completed my first non-fiction book! It was interesting to note that about halfway through the book I did my usual and stopped reading. I tend to lose interest or feel that things are getting repetitive and without consciously thinking I put the book down and then struggle to find it again! Knowing I had this goal helped though and I knew I had to finish by the end of February or I would be behind. I’m not going to lie, it was really hard! That’s not saying anything about the book, more about my non-fiction reading.

As for Save the Cat. I would absolutely recommend it and I know it’s going to be something I come back to time and again.

Annual Goal: Write two books using my new schedule.
February Goal: Edit Awaiting Annie Jones
February was editing of Awaiting Annie Jones which will be out in June this year. I’ve always been really happy with this story and it’s one of those ones that just ‘wrote itself’. (If only they were all like that!) I’m happy to send this off to my Developmental Editor and get their feedback.

While I wait for that I will move onto a book I am hoping to get out at the end of the year. I’m excited because I spent January plotting this book which means March I get to write to my hearts content and see what comes out. This is my favourite bit of the writing process.

Annual Goal: Start getting up early in the morning.
February Goal: Have five mornings in a row getting up early
Throughout February I started getting up an hour earlier than everyone else and having some free writing time. I cannot lie and say this was wonderful and that I’m just up and at em’ every morning. To be honest there were some mornings where I was ‘up’ but that meant actually lying on the couch with my laptop on my lap and typing with my eyes closed…

In the last week of February though I managed to get up early five mornings in a row and I could feel the benefits as I knew I had gotten a lot of writing done even though I had a busy week on.

My next non-fiction book is Hal Elrod’s The Miracle Morning which I’m hoping can give me some tips and tricks to really nail this.

Annual Goal: Develop my understanding further of beat writing.
February Goal: Use what I have learned from Save the Cat
Reading Save the Cat is a major part of learning more about this. I think I know this is going to be ongoing learning for me. I still have a bit of a struggle of wanting to go off and ‘la la la la’ my way through writing but I do know from experience that it is a painful way to edit so I’m going to stick my beats.

Annual Goal: Nail social media.
February Goal: Be consistent with my new process
In January I set up my process, I scheduled posts, I chatted with my daughter about how I could do social media better and then… that was where I stayed. It definitely helped knowing I had a lot of stuff scheduled and took a lot of the stress away but I head into March knowing that I need to set aside a chunk of time again to schedule some more. I really want to do this a bit more regularly so it’s not such a big job.

Annual Goal: Give more in my newsletter
February Goal: Carve out some more time so it’s not a rush every month.
Writing accountability and process posts as an addition to my newsletter was a bigger job than I thought and I started to wonder if I had made the right decision as the time to do it had to be taken from somewhere else. However, I always come back to the fact that I really enjoy newsletter and post writing and the roll on effect of accountability will be a win too. I think by next month I will have a better handle of what I need to do.

Annual Goal: Take small steps on a new project.
No further action on this one as February felt full enough and I didn’t actually have a plan for February. I don’t want this to peter out though so in March I will take another small step which means having a chat with another contact and getting some advise – easy peasy!

So in a nutshell for March I will:
– Start reading Hal Elrod’s The Miracle Morning
– First draft of Saving Sally Jenkins. I have set a target of 50k in March.
– Use Save the Cat as a reference as I write
– Continue on with early morning rising
– Set up my next three months of social media with a check up late March so it’s not a huge task end of June.
– Jot notes down weekly to help with reporting back on my accountability.
– Make a phone call!

How are you going? Let me know!

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