2012 Book Goals:
- Find a great, kindred spirit agent at the Writer's Digest 2012 conference
- Publish my first novel, Couple Friends
- Write my second novel in a January burst, Keepsakes [working title]
- Finish my nonfiction book, Lies of the American Dream (full book proposal with four sample chapters already complete, have about 17 more chapters to go)
- Read two books per week (average about one per week now)
- Write an article for a major magazine
- Write more people and small business profiles (entrepreneurs, nonprofits, chefs, etc.)
- Research potentially writing for greeting cards
- Take on one new marketing client
- Help my two current marketing clients, Import/Export and Bowhous, have amazing 2012s
- Win a writing contest
- Grow my readership on this blog by making it more helpful and full of inspirational, cool creative mentors
- Begin a second blog to track my progress for 2012's #manifestival reflections (SUCH a cool project by Kathy of www.plantthisgarden.com and Kirsten of http://www.eatthepaper.com/)
- Do more guest blogs
- Research joining a group blog
- Promote each blog post on Stumbleupon, Digg, and other resource-sharing sites
- Find at least one new blog a month to add to my reader
- Figure out why my blog stopped updating on Pulse.me because I ADORE the app but HATE that my own blog isn't updating correctly :( *If you know how I can fix this issue, I will forever be indebted to you!
- Better work/life balance
- Turn off the computer (and my brain) by 9pm
- Stick to my work routine Monday through Friday as much as possible (Wake up by 8am, workout, write my 3000K words while drinking green tea, and do my #manifestival entry, then my afternoon tasks)
- Drink about 100 ounces of water each day
- Create a "signature" Christmas treat to mail out to family and friends
- Take guitar lessons
- Save up for an iPad
- Start sending real birthday cards to all the people I belong to
- Have a monthly game night via Google video chat with my family
- Join the YMCA and attend to at least three classes per week
- Eat more fun salads for lunch
- Save up to pay off debt that has occurred as we transitioned from part of the 9-to-5 world to entrepreneurs/solopreneurs/slashers
- Trade my terrible, falling apart 2006 Volkswagen Jetta for a solid, reliable SUV
- Go to at least one great concert (either Pearl Jam, Dave Matthews, Smashing Pumpkins, Matthew Mayfield, or Eddie Vedder)
- Go to a Cleveland Browns game, preferably in a city we have never been to
- Start saving for our month-long road trip through Ireland following Rick Steves' itinerary that we *hopefully* will take in 2012
Let's make 2012 our BEST YEAR YET!