1-4-12 Check In

I’m off to a lackluster start.  But at least I have started.

Writing Goals:

Goal #1:  Write for 30 minutes daily.

Reality  :   1-2-12 (1745-1815) 30 minutes uninterrupted.

                 1-3-12 (2100-2115) 15 minutes – interrupted four times

After two days of writing, I’ve got 2/3 of a paragraph that makes me happy.  The other couple of pages are ridiculous.

Goal #2:  Work on one project at a time.

Reality  :  I’ve been married to this story and not cheated with other characters.

Goal #3:  Write 5000 words a week.

Reality  :  My week isn’t up yet, but if I don’t get going I’ll be short on my word count.

Goal #4:  Write for 1 additional hour on my days off from work as a pharmacy tech.

Reality  :  Not applicable.  I haven’t had a day off since the 1^st week in December.  I’m not complaining;  I like the money.

Goal #5:  Remember to save my work.

Reality  :  I saved it but who cares. 

Personal Goals:

Goal #1:  No Reese’s.  Success!

Reality  :  I may have not indulged in peanut butter cups, but I did have lemon buttermilk cake, chocolate chip cookies, M & M’s, gingerbread and a caramel hot fudge sundae.

Goal #2:  Run 10 miles a week.

Reality  :  I’ve run exactly 1.3 miles.  It was actually little more than a jog.

Goal #3:  Be nicer.

Reality  :  I think I’m doing better.  But who can be objective about this?

Goal #4:  Lose 10 pounds.

Reality  :  I’m maintaining at 140 pounds.  But I’m serious about getting back to 130.

Goal #5:  Read only good books that I want to read.

Reality  :  Okay, I’ve got a problem here.  One of my good friends has given me 9 books in the Sookie Stackhouse series.  She has just discovered these books and wants me to read them too so we can discuss. 

Today I picked up Guterson’s Ed King and Murakami’s IQ84 from the library.  And I really really want to read Ed King right now.  I’ve heard that one should try to read IQ84 in one long power read if possible.  These are the books on top of my TBR pile.  These are the novels I want to read.

I told my friend that I had no time right now.  And she assured me I could keep the books as long as it took.  I’ve got nothing against Sookie and company.   I like books about vampires.  Hell, I read Twilight.  Stoker’s Dracula is wonderful.  The Passage was good too.  I read tons of Anne Rice back in the day.  I knocked off The Historian on a bus trip to Chicago.

I keep thinking maybe I can breeze through the Sookie books this weekend and get on to what I really want to devour.  I’m 45 years old and still succumbing to peer pressure. 

Measurable Goals Set In Stone

My writing goals for 2012:

1.)  I will write for a minimum of 30 minutes every afternoon after work. 
2.)  I will work on one and only one writing project at a time.  No cheating with other stories or characters.
3.)  I will write at least 5000 words each week. 
4.)  On my rare days off from work, I will write for an additional hour.
5.)  I will remember to save my work at the conclusion of my writing day.

Personal goals for 2012:
1.)  I will not eat any Reese's cups (or peanut butter hearts, eggs, or trees either) this year.
2.)  I will run 10 miles a week.
3.)  I'm going to be nicer to my co-workers.*
4.)  I will lose this last 10 pounds for ever.
5.)  I will read only books that I want to read.  That means that I'll never touch Barbara Walter's biography.

*#3 will be the hardest goal of all.  These are some of the most annoying, belly-aching people I've ever encountered.

ROW - Round 1 - Goals

I'm in for Round 1 of ROW. 

I love to write, but I rarely dedicate as much time to writing as I want.  I need that to change.

I'll be making a second post with my clear goals for Round 1.  I've got a lot of good intentions for the upcoming year...save money, exercise, eat better, be nicer, work harder and write more.

So I do declare that I'm going to join the rest of you wonderful people on an adventure.

-Susan (wannabe writer)