Goals

 When I retired, I got into the habit of creating monthly goals. It was something I really enjoyed doing, and it kept me motivated and on-track. Not perfectly, of course, but taking the time to plan and decide where I want to focus my energy plants seeds that quite often take root over the course of the month. 

Now, ten years into my encore career, I'm still doing my monthly goal sessions. In fact, I look forward to them. At the end of last year, I went to quite a lot of trouble to find a "just right" notebook to use. I ended up with an undated calendar from Target -- one with a pretty cover, lots of room inside, and a layout that works with the way I think -- and that only adds to the pleasure I get from this simple process. 

As close as possible to the first of the month, I review my progress on the previous month's goals. Then, I set personal goals, writing goals, health goals, and work goals, trying to stay realistic and not go overboard in any area (or all of them). Today was one of those days when I had to stop myself, recognizing that if I kept going, I'd be more frustrated by what I'd left undone than pleased with what I'd accomplished. 

No one else sees my goals book, nor does anyone know what's in it unless I choose to share, which I sometimes do. I've told a lot of people that my writing goal is to buckle down and revise my latest novel ASAP so I can submit to 24 agents and/or editors in 2024. Though I'm not-so-secretly hoping someone wants it before I hit that goal, telling everyone that I plan to do this keeps me honest.

Which is why I'm telling you right now.

What goals do you have for yourself? And which ones are you willing to go public with? Whether you keep them to yourself or share them with the world, I wish you the best of luck.