Goals for 2013

[vaneramos]

As mentioned a few days ago, I've been thinking about goals for the coming year. These actually fall into two categories: work and personal. I made good use of the 6 Changes strategy a couple years ago for building some good habits, and now wish to reapply it to make 2013 a year of healthier living. Here they are:

6 Changes

1. Increase vegie intake with daily salad lunch (January/February)
2. Exercise 6 days a week (March/April)
3. Restore bedtime habits (May/June)
4. Instate planned evening snacks to avoid binges (July/August)
5. Assess weight and cholesterol and, in case further intervention is required, research the options (September/October)
6. TBD (November/December)

Salad

To break down number one more specifically, I plan to start eating salad or crudites and hummus for lunch one day a week starting tomorrow (Jan. 4) and add one day each week. To make this more fun, the third Wednesday of every month (starting Jan. 16) I will look up or invent a new salad.

At the same time I need to work out writing goals to discuss with my coach next week. I started brainstorming these in a discussion on Michelle Rafter's WordCount blog yesterday. I'll pin them down here. These are up for review and discussion:

Writing Goals

1. To keep sending out killer pitches, write at least four new query letters per month (with lenience during the fourth quarter).
2. Design one of the four queries to break into science and nature publications.
3. As soon as queries are rejected or after six weeks of no response, send them to new markets.
4. Write at least one essay every two months to submit on spec.
5. Start writing a book, fiction or non-fiction.
6. Learn to use PhotoShop for potential photo essays.
7. Continue blogging three times a week on Speed River Journal.
8. Figure out what it takes to derive revenue from the blog (this might be a good objective for the blogathon in May).
9. Take one week vacation out of every 12.
10. Travel at least once every six weeks for assignments and/or pleasure (including day trips further than 50 km, but excluding family or cottage).

Comments

[vaysha.livejournal.com]

Hi friend,
great post!
I was thinking about you when I came across this site
http://www.youngandraw.com/category/raw-salads/

I thought you might find some salad recipes there.
I have started my big salad each day and it feels really good.
I'm trying to do some juicing each day as well with greens.
xo

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

Oh, thank you for sharing that site! It is full of inspiration. Salads are not my favourite, so some beauty and delight is needed to motivate me.

[changeling72.livejournal.com]

Sounds great. Is writing your full-time job?

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

Yes.

[changeling72.livejournal.com]

How wonderful.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

I made the decision last spring after getting laid off the previous December and not getting called back for several months. It has taken a lot of hard work and will require another year or so for me to reach a sustainable income, but for the time being that is okay. This has been my ambition for 17 years and finally I am doing it.