2018 Goal Check In

I had two sets of goals this year: personal and writing. Here is a mid-year check in on the goals — what is working, what isn’t working, what I’ve already accomplished, and what it getting abandoned.

1. Finish house projects: kitchen, living room, office/cubbie, master bath: phase 1
2. Two rounds of whole 30: January, October
3. Get piano
4. Buy more plants
5. 12 Family Selfies

House projects are coming along. I’m calling the kitchen done — but I haven’t decided on the artwork, and I still need a rug for under the table. I have a feeling that a moment of brilliance hit one weekend, and I’ll come up with the perfect idea. The office is finished with the exception of — I need another IKEA trip to grab another desk/table for the other side of the room. Also, we recently decided I needed a new rug because my current one is constantly getting caught under the wheels of my desk chair.

I’m x-ing Whole 30. I put too much pressure on myself (which you’re not supposed to do) and over think things and it just doesn’t work (for me). I still love this, but right now life is just too crazy for me to commit. My eating habits are a lot better than they have been. I’m focusing more on just being healthier all around.

Get a piano. Done.

Buy more plants. I think I’ve succeeded in this as well. I’ve bought so many plants.

12 family selfies. I love the idea of this project, but when 2/5 of the people in your family hate, loathe, abhor taking photos, this becomes a fight that isn’t worth it (it’s also difficult when one month you’re gone 3/4s of the month and when you get back, your other half works a stupid amount of overtime and is never home).

1. Flash fiction: one, two
2. Short story: one, two
3. Collaboration
4. Contest
5. Read one craft book per quarter: one, two, three, four

These goals are a little humorous now that I’m looking at them. I’m not exactly sure what this list is going look like at the end of the year, but for now …

Flash fiction. I’m still dabbling in the learning process of flash fiction. I just need to get out of my own head and do it.

Short story. I’m working on a serial series. I might just consider that this — my serial will basically (not really) be four short stories self-published over a time. But not sure yet.

Collaboration. I’m still not sure what this looks like, and not sure if this one will stand up the rest of the year, but we’ll see. The year is still young.

Contest. I’m x-ing this one. I wasn’t sure about this one at the beginning of the year, and have decided to focus my attention elsewhere.

Read one craft book per quarter. My first quarter book was Write Your Novel from the Middle. I’m currently almost finished with my second quarter book, Story Trumps Structure — so I’m totally counting it.