Writefully So...: 2014 Mid Year Goal Review (Do I lose points for being late?)

I’m late, I’m late, for a very important goal check. Ideally, this goal check would have been completed at the end of June-early-July but those months were hectic.

This delay in checking goals I not a good thing. It’s not like I can sit back and say, ‘Well, I didn’t do my second goal check until August so I’ll just extend the rolling year period into February.’ Uh, no. This delay in checking means there are fewer days, weeks, months to complete my 2014 goals. But I’m not scared (yet) and if you're in the same boat, have no fear. This is an opportunity to pause, take stock of our progress and correct course if needed.

You may remember, back in May I did a major goal course correction. Notice I did not say failure. Course corrections are needed. And it's not necessarily the result of setting the bar too high. Sometimes life gets in the way of our plans (big shocker, right?).

So let’s check in on my progress thus far (This is a longer post, folks, with plenty of pics and gifs. So hold on and enjoy the ride):

Writerly Goals for 2014:

o Course Corrected Goal: take at least 1 writing class between Aug – Dec 2014

Done – I took a Pitch class via RWA prior to attending the conference. I have my eye on a few other classes but I need to narrow those down.

o Course Corrected Goal: Attend 1 conference.

Done – see my RWA14 recap here.

o Course Corrected Goal: enter at least 2 contests.

On track - My WIP is almost contest/query ready. I didn’t want to submit to Pitchwars if it wasn’t ready so I’m holding on for contests later in the year.

o Course Corrected Goal: blog at least once a week for 21 weeks.

On track – this is a manageable goal for me. I wanted to blog but I also wanted to spend most of my time on my WIP. This schedule seems to work for me.

o Course Corrected Goal: Write 200k words in 2014.

On track but starting to slip - I’m a little behind my total target but I’m still pushing forward. I’m happy with my word count so far. Check out my monthly recap for Aug, July, and June.

o Course Corrected Goal: Finish 2 MS’s in 2014.

D O N E!!!! – *Does happy dance* I'm thrilled to be done with my second WIP this year. And with revisionary edits planned for two other WIPs I feel like I’m going to blow this goal out of the water. (Note: I did not start both of these WIPs within this calendar year. I’m fast but I'm not that fast. But I will be one day.)

o Course Corrected Goal: Read 40 books

Slipping – this goal is tough. That is to say 40 books was going to be a reach anyway. But it's going to be even harder now that I'm behind due to my class at the beginning of the year. Not to mention I've been drafting like a race horse these last few months. But still, I want to hit this goal. I’m watching this target and hope to meet this goal but it’s a lot of reading.

Running and Fitness Goals for 2014:

· Register for the Dopey Challenge.

Done – registered!!

· Train for Dopey challenge.

On track - Races like this require A LOT of training and I want to be seriously prepared for this race. Luckily, Handsome Jack and I started training in July. We are following the training plan on the runDisney website. We’ve had a few bumps along the road (minor injuries, nagging pain, and minor surgeries) but we are on track.

· Run a Half during training for time (must be done before Oct).

Slipping – this goal is tough. There just aren’t a lot of Half’s in ATL this time of year. Most of the races I run my only goal is to finish strong. But Disney’s new corral placement system requires proof of time. Should be interesting.

· Switch to water as my primary beverage on July 1.

Done (sorta) – I was full on addicted to soda. But I’m serious about training for this race so I knew I needed to seriously reconsider my nutrition and hydration. So I ditched the diet cola and switched to Clear American flavored water. It’s fizzy, like Coke Zero (which I love) but it doesn’t have the caffeine and added sodium. Yes, it has artificial sugars. And yes, I’d be better off if I drank water. But I’m not quite ready to let go of my fizz. So I’ve switched. And I rarely relapse and drink a caffeinated diet soda. So I call this goal done –sorta.

Personal Life Goals for 2014:

· Take class to learn the skills needed to defeat the soul destroying exam scheduled for June.

Done – the class ran from Feb – June and it met three days a week. Plus, homework. Plus take home tests. Ugh. It was hard. But it was so worth it.

· Crush soul destroying exam scheduled in June.

Done – I scored almost 20 points higher than I did the last time I took the test (almost ten years ago). My scores are right where they need to be. So, yay!

· Spend more time on the motorcycle with the hubby, Handsome Jack.

On track – I’ve hitched a ride a few times now. Most memorable was probably the 4th of July. We rode down to watch the fireworks and then rode back in the dark…eeek. It was fun and terrifying. I tried to ride again and we hit a bump that tweaked my back. So once that feels better I’m sure I’ll try again. So far so good.

· Go tubing/beach/kayak/backpacking at least once each this summer.

Done – We managed to go tubing down the Chattahoochee, layout on Daytona Beach, Kayak around the lake in KY, and backpack through the north Georgia mountains. It’s been a lot of fun.

Soooooooooooooo..........

That’s where I am. Most of my goals are done or on track with only two or three that are slipping. I'm pleased with the progress on my personal goals and writing goals. I'm a little worried about the slippage I see on my running goals and my reading goals. But hey, that's what goal checks are for, right? Changing goals (or dumping them altogether) doesn’t mean you’ve failed. It’s the smart thing to do to ensure you succeed at what matters most.