New Year, New Goals

By Francine Puckly
 
Happy New Year from all of us at 24 Carrot Writing! We hope your holiday celebrations were filled with laughter and joy, friends and family, and a little quiet time to reflect on all that you accomplished in 2017. We are excited to have you join us as we seek the possibilities 2018 holds for each of us!
 
One of my goals for 2017 was to give myself the gift of time to celebrate the holidays (sans guilt) and to muse about opportunities forthcoming in 2018. I spent many long morning walks, as well as afternoon teas, pondering this wonderful but oftentimes frustrating creative life I have chosen to lead.
 
I dug up two precious nuggets of truth over the many miles I wandered. The first is that I’m wildly inaccurate with my goal estimations as it pertains to the time a project will take. I mean, I’m not even close. I’m way off the mark when I guess at how quickly I can complete everything—a blog, an outline, a chapter, an entire draft. So laying out Gantt charts with detailed deadlines is no longer a practice I choose to embrace. It works for many, many people, but it results in failure for me. The second discovery is that I spend too much time alone. I need to be around people, even if we are all working independently and may never speak to each other. In order to grow contentment and joy in my life, these are my focus areas for 2018.
 
But what does this mean as I set my goals? It means that it is important to me that I be a writer. That I show up for work every day and take my job seriously. I have scheduled hours of work Monday through Friday. It’s my job. As long as I show up to my job, I will accomplish much. How much? It doesn’t matter this year. I’m just going to go to work everyday and see where it takes me.
 
And where, exactly, is my place of work? I have plotted out various writing locations that involve seeing other human beings (libraries, cafes, and bookstores). My portable office and daily packing list are ready to go (the-portable-office.html).  
 
Keeping the 24 Carrot Writing categories of Writing Goals and Craft Goals in mind, my work falls accordingly:
2018 Writing Goals:

• Revise current contemporary YA manuscript
• Complete Draft 1.5 of a new historical piece
• If time permits and inspiration strikes, rewrite a contemporary YA manuscript that has been resting in a nearby drawer.

2018 Craft Goals:

• Manage social media, blogs and website (weekly)
• Read novels and research materials that support my projects (weekly)
• Expand my workshop repertoire/develop new presentations (monthly)
• Invest in workshops and talks that will fill my educational well (monthly)

 
That’s it! It’s simple, it’s thorough, and most importantly, it’s doable!
 
I wish each of you joy as you set your creative goals and the luxury of time to focus on all that you love!
 
Happy Goal Setting and Happy New Year!
~ Francine

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