How I keep myself accountable as I work toward my goals

In my last post I described how I’ve been formatting my quarterly business plans in an attempt to stay on task with my projects. I thought I’d share what I do to track my progress during the month while I’m working on projects. This has been a WIP on its own as I figure out what works and what doesn’t, but the following is an example about how I try to keep myself accountable: 

Weekly

I use my weekly planner to track my word count, weekly focus, status of projects, scheduled promotions, social media and blogging content and anything else I feel I should note down.

Here’s an idea with samples of some of my recent notes:

Monday – formatting font, spacing, page breaks and chapter starts & caps – morning pages completed

Tuesday – formatted size – cover created – issues with options – changed title name again – began review and possible new cover idea for BKS

Wednesday – proofs of new book ordered – reviewing BKS with new margins and basic editing updates – will reduce by 50 pages? – unpublish & republish as vol. 2 with new cover & edits

Thursday – signed up for women’s business conference – need to schedule doggy daycare - further revisions on BKS

Friday – morning pages completed – didn’t stick with them as well this week – updated business plan to include new projects and marketing ideas – signed up for upcoming author webinar

Monthly

My calendar is set to remind me to do a monthly check in and I use a check list to answer questions, starting with how the previous month went. I add up my word count, make note of the status/next step for ongoing projects, list any events, conferences or webinars I took part in, track stats for my blog, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and whether engagements are up or down, and schedule in any blog post ideas based on the previous month.

After reviewing the previous month, I have a check list for ongoing tasks, as well. I make note of any marketing or writing books I’m reading, how I might market the series or a current project, update my series Bible if needed, list any monthly challenges I took part in, review my editorial calendar (still a WIP) and plan blog posts. I review the status of my current WIP at that time and where I’m at in the development of the project (idea, currently writing, editing, formatting, launch), and what my monthly focus will be beyond the current WIP. The monthly focus may be a new book idea, developing new ways to reach readers, planning a promotion, attending a conference or event, a monthly challenge, researching the competition or updating my business plan if it’s time.

Quarterly

My calendar is then set to remind me to check in quarterly, before I update my business plan. My quarterly review is also based on a check list and ongoing tasks so that I can track my progress after I review my notes from the previous three months. Did I promote at least one book? More? How will I promote again during the next quarter? Did I take part in any monthly challenges? How did I do? Did I attend an event, conference or webinar? How did the event go? I update the editorial calendar for my blog. I check my stats, ranking and sales. I make note of any spikes and compare them to any promotions, thereby making further note what promotions work better than others. Will I be taking part in an event or attending an upcoming conference? If so, I make note of deadlines for specific tasks related to the coming event. Are there any contests I might want to check out? I review my yearly marketing calendar and make note of any holidays or other specific date-related tasks I need to add to my quarterly plan.

And the list could just go on and on, especially when I get around to what’s involved with sending out regular newsletters.

As noted before, this has been a WIP and will likely keep changing based on what does or doesn’t work, but this process keeps me constantly on my toes because regular reviews keep me “in the know” rather than getting away with burying my head in the sand. If I’m not making progress on a project, that’s on me and I can adjust accordingly if I know where the problem lies. If I don’t know the problem, then I know I need to figure it out. I believe a regular review of my status not only keeps me accountable, but is the best way to set myself up to achieve my goals and therefore, to set myself up for success.

To end this post, here’s a quote I feel is fitting:

“Keep steadily before you the fact that all true success depends at last upon yourself.” 

~Theodore T. Hunger~

Have a great week!

Quarterly check in…Making a business plan work for me

The decision to finally begin using a quarterly business plan is probably one of the best decisions I’ve made…besides making the decision to begin writing in the first place. J 

Each quarter when I review my progress and map out another quarterly plan, I can see in black and white where I’ve done well and what needs attention or tweaking.

When I reviewed my progress based on my expectations for the first quarter of this year, it was immediately apparent that my intentions had been great, but not realistic. I thoroughly expected to have the first draft of my young adult completed by March along with the final draft of the next book in the mystery series on top of an eBook for marketing purposes.

But I didn’t hit the mark.

My young adult is still in the works and the eBook didn’t see the light of day. The main reason is that I spent much of January and part of February reviewing and revising my manuscript so that it could be ready for my editor. The editing and revisions on my end took more time than I had anticipated. It happens and it is what it is. And even though I was able to work on my young adult (and a completely new series idea!) for a few weeks while my novel was being edited, final revisions have been my main focus for the past few weeks and now I need to focus on cover & formatting and publishing & marketing.

When I spent time prepping my second quarter business plan, I didn’t beat myself up about the uncompleted projects. Instead, I used the plan to appreciate the progress I’ve made and to assist me as I reworked my action list on how I might complete the remaining projects during the coming months.

It’s not an exact science – projects take longer than anticipated or unseen hurdles pop up but that’s why reviewing my projects on a quarterly basis works for me. Based on how my schedule has gone or if my personal life has affected my progress, I can assess, analyze and amend the plan as needed. Having a plan doesn’t always mean I’ll always stay on course, but it’s better than the alternative of driving by the seat of my pants. I may write that way because I don’t mind taking a fork in the road when it comes to writing, but when it comes to all the admin responsibilities and other tasks related to an author’s life, I’d prefer to have it down on paper so I can stay in my lane.

However, when it comes to business plans, there are many opinions about what to include…vision, business structure and planning, writing and publication plan, market analysis, audience research, marketing strategy, pricing strategy, sales projections, financials, platform building, growth and development, and so on.

But I wanted a plan I could look at every day and use in a relevant way. I found many ideas and played around with a few, but overall I just wanted something simple. After researching the idea more and feeling bogged down by suggestions, I was saved when I finally discovered this post by Jane Friedman about a suggested business plans for writers. I like Jane’s suggested format, so that’s what I use. It’s simple with four columns: Area of Focus, Goals, Timeline (my word; she says “Timing”) and Action List.

So I thought I might share with you what I include in my business plan.

In the focus column I include four main areas: Writing, Publishing, Marketing and Platform. These areas have their own row and for each focus area, I add projects and ideas as goals, note an expected timeline and add an action list for each particular project.

The goals column for writing and publishing would include whatever projects I’m currently working on, whether they are in first draft, final revisions or just the nugget of an idea that I want to begin researching and making notes about. I note in the timeline column when I anticipate completing each project, or I leave it open-ended if it’s still an idea that’s a WIP. Under the action list for writing, I use bullet points to list tasks still pending for each project. Those tasks might include the date the manuscript is due to the editor, how many words per day/week will result in my completing the novel within the timeframe I’ve guesstimated, what areas need further research, cover option or ideas I need to check out, and anything else to keep me focused. Under the action list for publishing, I use bullet points for tasks relating to final formatting, anything necessary to do right before publishing and also tasks I need to complete once the book is published.

My goals related to marketing are based on the projects underway and soon to be published, along with ideas on how to market previous listings and what I might do to further market myself. These might include online promotions for previous listings, a specific promotion for a newly published book, social media marketing, or live events where I can promote myself as an author. My timeline column for marketing can be all over the place for new books, since I’m hazarding a guess based on when I think I may publish. That timeline is more forgiving, but it can also help me stay on task to keep up with regular or seasonal promotions for past publications and for any upcoming events I have already scheduled. The action list for marketing will include bullet points with specific ideas on how to promote a newly published book, an event or tasks for regular and seasonal promotions, but it can also include a brain dump of random ideas that I may like to utilize during the next quarter.

Goals relating to the focus of platform building are not necessarily specific to each quarter. My goals usually include a brain dump of what I hope to begin working on soon, or what I need to focus on in order to expand and build on where I already reach an audience. These goals reflect new ideas for engagement, visibility, interaction with readers and networking. The timeline is very forgiving, and sometimes I just list a season or the first or second half of a year, since I have no idea how long each project might take me. This action list is added to regularly whenever I come across a new idea that might help me with that particular platform idea.

This is how I’ve been organizing my business plans for the past year and so far, it works for me. I’ve tweaked a thing or two but overall, I can easily manage it, refer to it and update it (i.e. scribble all over it) as I go along and at the end of each quarter.

How I keep up with it, though, is due to quarterly and monthly check-ins. However, since this post has become long-winded, I’ll have to share my thoughts on those another time.

What works for one doesn’t always work for another, but I thought I’d share what’s been working for me. If you organize your writing, or any other creative business with a business plan, I’d be interested in hearing additional idea or thoughts.

Until next time…keep planning and carry on!

Will your child someday ask, “What’s snail mail?”

Did you know April is National Card and Letter Writing Month? When is the last time you mailed a handwritten letter to someone? Recently? Last year? Never?

Your answer to that question may very well depend on your age or generation. The older generation, who recall when typewriters were a thing and computers were not the norm in a household, would remember letter writing as a way to communicate, while the current generation of young adults barely use phone calls to converse, much less write a letter. Their form of communication has been texting or messaging for as long as they can remember. In fact, if I had to guess, I doubt either of my boys, on their own, have used even half a book of stamps between the two of them their whole lives.

This reminds me of a comedian we saw recently while visiting the Brad Garrett Comedy Club in Vegas. Collin Moulton had some great humor about aging parents and the huge generation gap between kids and grandparents. One subject that brought tears to my eyes was when he joked about a grandfather having to explain to a young one what writing and sending letters was all about. This video will give you an idea of what I’m talking about [disclaimer, he picks on the USPS a bit in this video]. All joking aside, it isn’t an easy task to ask young adults or children to write a letter. The concept is extremely foreign to them. If you’re a parent with kids, you’ll know this or understand when the time comes to inform your son or daughter they need to write thank you notes for gifts or money received after their high school graduation. The question I got was, “What do I say?”

I can’t recall the last letter I wrote but I’ll admit it’s been quite awhile – I had a great aunt who loved sending and receiving cards and letters (plus she never owned a computer or used email), so she and I continued to write to each other for years until she passed away a number of years ago. I’m thankful we shared the experience because the notes and cards I received from her are now keepsakes and will always hold special memories for me.

My aunt and I wrote back and forth because we both enjoyed the process of writing and receiving cards and letters. During other time periods when I’ve written to family and friends for any length of time, the reason has always been due to distance or because there was no other way to communicate. One example is when my brother was in the service or when he was out of the country and gone for months at a time on missionary trips. Email was not always an option given whatever location he might be in. Another stint in letter writing was when a friend of mine was in prison for about a year. I couldn’t visit her at the prison, so it was the only way we communicated until her release. When I was in middle school, my best friend in the world at that time moved out of the state and I was devastated. As devastated as you can imagine a 13 or 14 year old might be. We wrote from that point and all through high school, almost religiously, and even a bit beyond I believe. Those types of letters are precious and likely the most honest truth about our young lives beyond whatever we wrote in our own journals.

Having a month dedicated to sending cards or letters has made me pause and think…I miss writing letters. I miss having a reason to write and sharing the love of writing letters with another person.

Do we need a reason to send a card or write a letter? No. We can send one, just because we want to.

Does someone have to live states away or even in another country to deserve a card or written letter? No. we can send one, just because we want to.

But the way our lives move on at such a fast rate of speed, we don’t tend to find the time to sit and write a letter or a cute note in a card to someone special. Especially when it’s just as easy to pick up the phone, send a text or stalk them on Facebook.

So for me, because I have more stationary and cards than I need (I’m sure I’ve mentioned it…I’m a stationary/paper/journal addict), I plan to use this month as an excuse to get back into snail mail. Some challenges I’ve seen involve sending a card or a letter every day – that’s too much for me. So my challenge to myself is to pick at least two friends or family members each week and send them either a card or a letter. Even if they don’t reciprocate with a card or letter of their own, that’s okay, as that won’t be the point of the challenge. What I’ll enjoy is the fact that they’ll smile in surprise when they realize there’s something in their mailbox between the bills and the junk mail.

If I can make a loved one smile at the sight of something as simple as a note card or letter in their mailbox, that idea alone will brighten my day and is the only reason I need to take on the challenge.

How about you?

Is there someone you know who would smile at the sight of a card or a letter from you in their mailbox?

Even something short & sweet?

I'm betting there might be… J