Writing Goals for Remainder of 2019 – Weekly Report 1

I thought I’d keep you up-to-date with the progress on my three major goals for the remainder of 2019. I haven’t put them into SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Timely) goal format just yet. Let’s just say that I’m quite certain I’ve chosen three basic goals that are shaping up to be SMART fairly soon. And I’m going to be sharing a weekly report of how things are progressing on all three to help keep me on the up-and-up, keep me honest, keep me accountable. So, I need my Accountability Partners (and you’re one of them) to take your posts and hold me to my type-written words. To refresh your memories or present the goals to you for the first time (for those who are new to my blog), here are the three projects I would like to complete before the year’s end:

1. Create an audio book for Playground Instruction for the Growing Adult (my debut book).
2. Write and self-publish my second book.
3. Research and set-up some future public speaking engagements.

Now, I would like to report how things went for all three goals this past week.

1. I’m currently in the research phase of creating an audio book.
   • The two audio book creators/distributors I’m currently researching are ACX/Audible and Findaway Voices.
   • Two possible locations for recording have been identified: the local audio-visual room for public use at our newest state-of-the-art public library and the recording studio at our local university. I’m not going the route of home studio at this point. I’d like to set up a tour of both in the very near future.
   • I’ve decided that I want to do my own narration for Playground Instruction for the Growing Adult. I’m of the firm belief that no one could give a better voice to an author’s non-fiction book than that author.
2. I’m on track with my 800 word count daily goal (every day except for Saturday) for the past week. I’m currently sitting at a little over 4,000 words geared toward my introduction, but I can’t say that they’re 4,000+ solid words that won’t need any revising. As a matter of fact, my draft is VERY rough right now, but I’ve decided that I’m not going to go back and revise things as I go. While the momentum is flowing, I’m going to ride it and I’m afraid that going back and revising, where I’m doing this write-revise-write-revise type of pattern will slow down the creative flow I’m feeling at the moment. Initially, I just want to get everything down on paper and then I can go back and revise.
   • Along with progress on my word count, I’ve also been able to create a brief outline of what my book will entail; and that outline has generated the chapters that will form book #2.
   • I’ve been using my phone to verbally record the content for my book and then I go back and type out the recording on my computer. My phone is always with me, so I find myself using it a lot for recording lately. However, I actually purchased a recorder some time ago that I was to use solely for my book writing purposes. I think I’ll return to that piece of tech for recording my book and use my phone for quick little writing thoughts that come to mind (like content for my blog). I’m finding this makeshift “dictation” system quite efficient in capturing my thoughts while they’re fresh. And, I might even invest in real dictation software in the future (probably sometime in 2020). I’ll keep this goal tucked away in my “6 months to a year out” goal category.
   • I would like to expand my distribution of the second book beyond Amazon, so I will be researching information on IngramSpark this go-around.
   • I’m planning on creating a workbook that will go along with book #2. This workbook will be designed to assist individuals in certain thought processes that lead toward healthy decision-making and life improvement goal-setting.
3. I’ve identified two different local entities that I would like to volunteer for. I value the service they both provide to those they serve; and so initially, I would like to build a working relationship with both entities, providing my volunteer services to their clientele in the capacities in which they have the most need. Later on, I would like opportunities to also provide the skills, knowledge and abilities that I personally have to offer and to do so in an informative format through presentations, one-on-one mentoring, or group discussions, based on the personal and professional development content that I’ve included in my first book and content that I’m currently creating for my second book.
   • I believe I have positive messaging that can benefit the audience that can use it; and if the people that need this information aren’t reaching it on their own, then I figured I’d bring it to them.
   • Now that I’ve identified the capacities in which I’d like to be involved in the community and the entities I’d like to work with, I plan on making contact with these entities within the next two weeks to see if they can utilize my services.
   • I just purchased Joanna Penn’s (from The Creative Penn blog, YouTube channel, and podcast) book, entitled Public Speaking for Authors, Creatives, and Other Introverts. I should get it within a day or two. I’m looking forward to devouring it quickly and taking what I can from Joanna Penn’s knowledge base and applying it to my personal public speaking experiences.

Overall, I do believe I had a truly productive week 1. And since week 1 was so successful, I want to take that same momentum into week 2. My intention is to update you every Monday for what happened the prior week. So, I’ll see you this time next week with another report. Stay tuned, my wonderful Accountability Partner.