Recently, I decided to take the advice of author, Jenna Moreci, and create quarterly goals. These are a list of 10-20 goals (both personal and writing) that I publicly set for myself to achieve within the time frame of 3 months. She explains that this has helped her productivity significantly and I want nothing more than to be more productive. Therefore, below I have listed my 15 quarterly goals. Ideally, I would love to achieve all of them, but if I can complete at least half, I will be satisfied with that accomplishment. At the conclusion of the quarter, I will update my progress and create new goals.
I am really excited about trying out this new method of goal-setting. I have only just written the list and I already feel more motivated. Soooo here's my list and thanks Jenna for this awesome idea!
Quarterly Goals: July, August, September 2016
1. Make appointments to meet with grad schools
a.
Since this is the summer before my final year in
undergrad, it is imperative that I take the time to really learn about
different grad school programs. I know that I want to earn my MSW and that
there are several accredited programs in NYS. I need to consolidate a list of
these programs and find ones that best appeal to me. I then need to create
letters to reach out to the heads of these programs and arrange meeting times.
2.
Visit grad schools
a.
I need to meet with the head of the programs so
that I can get all of my questions answered. (I should make a list of all my
questions.) It is also important that I physically see the campus and the
neighborhood before committing to a school. Most of the schools are in NYC and I
really need to make sure that I am comfortable in that setting. It is also
important that I visit grad schools outside of the city (upstate and on LI) so
that I view all of my options.
3.
Finish first draft of Faelyn novel
a.
I have my outline completed, and I really just
need to buckle down and write the first draft. I need to shut down my inner
critic and just get the words on the page. It doesn’t matter if it is any good,
I just need to write the story. This quarter is only about the story. It is not
about editing or beta readers or any other crap. I just need to WRITE THE DAMN
STORY.
4.
Hang out with friends at least once a week
a.
Writing is very solitary and I am very
introverted. I need to make sure that I get out of the house and actually
socialize with people so that I don’t go insane. This is also very important
for my mental health. Ideally, I would hope that I hang out with my friends
more than once a week but at least now this is a written goal.
5.
Reduce internet use
a.
Hell I feel like this goal should be applied to
our entire generation. But I digress. I find that I spend way too much time
sitting on the couch, watching tv whilst simultaneously scrolling through the
internet. It would be ridiculous to cut out internet completely but I need to
make the conscious decision to be aware of how much of my life is wasting away
in front of a screen. My internet time can be better spent doing more important
things like, oh I don’t know….writing my novel.
6.
Eat healthier
a.
Ok, so this goal is so cliché and redundant. But
I definitely need to address it. I need to consciously add more healthy options
into my diet. This means adding more fruits and vegetables to my daily meals.
And by no means does this mean that I am cutting out dessert- because all hell
would break loose if I did. But I want to reduce the excessive amount of junk
that I eat to a more reasonable level.
7.
Develop exercise plan
a.
Another cliché but oh so important goal. It’s no
secret that I abhor exercising and I don’t own a gym membership. Luckily my
school has a free gym. When I get to campus in August, I will try my best to
make it a habit to go to the gym a few times a week. In the meantime, I am going
to focus on going on long walks at least 5x a week during the summer. This may
not seem like a serious plan, but going outside and walking around is just
enough to keep me sane…not to mention the fact that having two broken arms
makes it quite difficult to do any rigorous exercise.
8.
Pick title for novel (or get a list of possible
titles)
a.
This is a goal I don’t expect to get finished
until much later in the quarter. Right now, I’ve just been calling my novel
Faelyn Hope’s Story simply because I need a way to distinguish it from my other
WIPs. I’m not saying that this title needs to be the final product, but it
would be nice to have a list of serious options for my novel.
9.
Win Camp NanoWriMo
a.
Camp is already half way done and I am
significantly behind. I set my word count goal at 30k and I would really love
to accomplish that. This is definitely going to be the hardest goal to achieve
but if I really work hard, I think I can do it. Doing this will also help me to
propel my goal of finishing my draft by the end of the quarter.
10.
Update blog once a week
a.
This is something that I really want to do. To
be honest, I don’t really care if people read my blog; but I created this
online space and I intend to keep up with it. Setting a weekly goal will ensure
that I have something to work on during my free time. It will also give me the
chance to get used to deadlines and force me to write things other than my
novel.
11.
Wake up earlier
a.
Anyone who knows me is probably laughing at
this. Without setting an alarm, I can easily sleep till 12pm. I am done
sleeping away half my days. I have too much to do and a novel to write.
Starting now, I am always going to set an alarm so that my body will get used
to waking up at a reasonable hour. No I am not getting up at 6am off the bat. I
intend to start off slow, and work my way up to earlier hours. I need to stop wasting
my mornings.
12.
Get a job in Jacksonville
a.
Since I have solidified my resume, I am hoping
that I can get a job on or near campus so that I can earn money. I like to buy
things! And I don’t like being broke. Ideally I’d love to make money off my
books, but since it is still in first draft mode, I need to find other means of
making money. So, I have made it a quarterly goal to actually get a job come
the fall semester.
13.
Wash face 2x a day
a.
I have a very expensive face-washing kit that I always
neglect to use. I want to get into the habit of using it every day, twice a
day. I don’t need to deal with gross skin- aint nobody got time for that.
14.
Write in journal at least 4x a week (while arms
are broken, write entries electronically)
a.
I love to journal. But sometimes, I forget to
write. It is my personal therapy and I always feel better after writing an
entry. I am making it a physical goal so that I can hold myself accountable: it
is so important to take time every day for self-reflection. I wrote down 4x a
week because I want to be realistic- sometimes you can’t write every day. But I
need to make sure that I take a good portion of time to reflect.
15.
Write creatively every day
a.
I know I just said that writing every day isn’t realistic,
but I really want to push myself to write at least one creative thing every day.
Writing in a journal is something I do for fun (hence why I make it a goal to
write 4x a week). However, I want to make writing a career, so I need to
develop a habit of it. Even if that writing is some simple blurb about nothing,
I just need to make sure that I always get words on the page. I also need to
remember not to kick myself if I don’t write every day. The important thing is that I am writing and that I make
time to do it.
That's all for this post! See you guys in a week!!!!!!!
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