Monday, January 07, 2008

New Year's Goals

Greetings!

Ann commented Saturday on a big issue for most women, and certainly for me: Time management. What to do, when, and how to do it all?

I'm preoccupied with goals and goal setting right now, as I'm due to give a mini-talk on that subject at my RWA chapter meeting later this month. I'm not great at it--I admit it. I'm a deadline person (as in, I don't do anything before I have to). LOL

But I'm also a list-maker, which is a way of goal setting. Last week, I had line edits due, I had to get a picture (yikes) and bio in to eHarlequin and to a website I just joined as an author, and I needed to get info to my web person for my newsletter to be properly set up (oops-missed that one). Reminders had to go out to the goal group I moderate (which is why I was asked to do the mini-talk) and to the critique group I moderate. As you'll notice, there's nothing personal on this list, such as laundry, cooking dinner, running errands for my mom, seeing a movie with my kids (a real priority--we saw I Am Legend), taking down the tree, etc. So I put the essentials on my list, with due dates or goal dates if no one else cares when they get done.

And I didn't do too badly. Of course, the edits had top priority and got completed (3 a.m. counts, right?) and I got the pic and bio in on time to eHarlequin. I saw the movie and ordered pizza, which is sort of like making dinner. The tree came down and my mom's errands got run. Sure, I have a few leftover items for this week, and more will be added, like plotting the next book, but I feel a real sense of accomplishment.

Do you set goals? Are you good at it? Maybe you have a tip or two I can use in my talk. I'd love to hear them.

Till next time,
Megan Kelly
www.megankellybooks.com

5 comments:

Estella said...

I so DO Not set goals. I am better off winging it.

Danny said...

I'm with Estella, winging it's the way I go, though I'm occasionally good with goals if it has to do with writing... Not often, mind. ;)

Megan Kelly said...

Thanks, Danny and Estella. I don't know where I'd be without my lists, but I'm a seat-of-the-pants writer, so I know about winging it. ;) Entering contests helped me meet deadlines better.

Anonymous said...

Chiming in late here, but I like your system, Megan. Reminds me a bit of the Franklin-Covey Time Management course.

Megan Kelly said...

Thanks, Ann. Not sure what I do could be considered anything as structured as a "system." LOL Just getting through the days the best I can.