Friday 30 December 2011

A Review Of 2011 And Further.

We're rapidly approaching the new year 2012 and it's often a time where we reflect on the past year and look forward to the year ahead. This is going to be nothing different.

The last blog post of 2011 was a list of 11 goals I was setting myself to achieve in this year. Now is the time to see how I've done and assess what goals I need to look at for the year ahead 2012.



1. Read 40 books 

I completed this. Though my Goodreads ticker only stands at 41, I know I have read at least 3 more that for some reason Goodreads didn't want to acknowledge. I'm not sure what that says about my taste in books!

2. Complete first draft of novel and subsequent edited drafts

This I did! And I'm thrilled with the fact that I did. It was hard work. I've had a lot of other things going on this year and I work full time, but regardless of that I still kept pushing myself, sitting down at my newly acquired office space that used to be a spare room and I wrote and I edited and I kept doing it and novel number one was born.

3. Query agent with completed novel

Believe it or not, I even managed to do this. I'm still in the anxiety riddled stage of waiting to hear back, but I'm pleased with what I achieved.

4. See a musical

Unfortunately this one wasn't completed. My other half lost his job earlier in the year do finances restricted social plans like this.

5. Lose 1.5 stone

Mmm. I can't seriously remember what my starting weight was when I wrote this so I can't say either way. That's not a get out clause. I genuinely don't know. I have lost some weight but I don't think it was in this ball park.

6. Start yoga

Oops. I forgot this one.

7. Submit 12 pieces of writing to competitions

I changed my mind about this one early into this year as I decided I needed to focus on the novel.

8. Write at least 6 blog posts a month.

In the main I managed this, other than September and October when I was in that last push to completing the novel. I'm happy with this one.

9. Be more organised. Set goals. Write things down.

This, I think I managed. There's still room for improvement but I'm getting there.

10. Raise the profile of the blog and have an extra 12 followers by the end of 2011 (one a month. Today it stands at 15)

See, I should have done the bracketed thing with the weight loss goal. Ha! Not really. Who wants to put their weight in black and white for all to see?

Anyway, I think I successfully managed to do this. 195 followers! Bear in mind my last post where I discuss quality over quantity. I do want to improve my jnteractions.

11. Push Doctors until a final diagnosis is agreed for son and I.

Done. We have hyper mobile Ehlers Danlos Syndrome and I also have Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome. Not much to have a song and dance about but the objective was met and we know what we're dealing with.

So with this past year all checked out, what do I intend to focus on for 2012? Lets see.... I'm not sure I can come up with 11, never mind 12, but here goes.

1. Read 50 books and in a variety of genres.

2. Start Pilates and another form of exercise. 
Due to my medical diagnosis's I need to exercise more, but I need to be sensible in the choices I make.

3. Write book two.

4. Have a publishing contract for book one. 
This is out of my hands in the main though. I will work hard but the choice is ultimately be in someone elses hands.

5. Lose a stone in weight.
It's a constant battle, but a smaller goal is more achievable and I don't want to put things on this list just for the fun of it.

6. Make more quality connections when blogging. 
If commenting, to make sure I have something to say rather than a one sentence comment for the sake of it.

7. Keep in touch with the people who are important to me. 
We often let this slide in our lives. We become busy and time slips away. I want to make a conscious effort to not do this.


What do you have planned for the coming year?

18 comments:

  1. It sounds like you got a lot accomplished, and I wish you the best in your goals for 2012. I still hope you eventually get to see a musical. They're great. :)

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  2. This is such an awesome post. I hope you achieve most of your plans. Happy New Year

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  3. You've managed a lot of the things that I didn't. However, I did get to see a musical. Sorry to hear about you and your son's diagnoses. I go to a clinical Pilates class which is really good because there are only six of us and the instructor has had an hour's one-to-one before we each join so he knows of our needs/limitations. Good luck with your next years' plans. I haven't even thought about it yet.

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  4. Your goals for 2012 seem pretty achievable (with a little luck). Hope to hear good things about your querying process.

    mood

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  5. You have definitely been more successful in achieving your goals this year than I have. Congrats on finishing the MS!! That's the big one I didn't achieve, but 2012 will be my year!!!

    Enjoy what's left in 2011 and see ya next year!

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  6. Rebecca, you've achieved so much! Finishing your novel must have given you such a sense of achievement, and I have no idea how you found the time to read over 40 books! I think I've read about 20. I too am waiting to hear from an agent - hopefully 2012 will be a good year for us both - and I love your 2012 targets by the way - fun and achievable. Happy New Year Rebecca!

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  7. The very best of luck with your goals. I think goaln setting is admirable - as long as they are attainable. I'm sure yours are - if you're determined. Happy New Year!

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  8. Well done on everything you achieved this year. Sounds very productive, and you're certainly keeping up the pace for 2012! Good luck, but you probably don't need it - you've proved you can do everything you set your mind to.

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  9. Very best wishes for 2012!

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  10. I'm so impressed that you finished your book and queried an agent. Way to go!!

    You really accomplished a lot this year. I wish you all the best with your goals for 2012. Happy New Year to you! :)

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  11. I haven't thought of goals as such yet. But well done for submitting your novel. I was supposed to do this, but failed, getting tied up into more editing of it really. I want that finished next year and submitted, so I can concentrate on book 2 which has 33,000 words written already.

    Oh, and weigh yourself on 1st January. ;-) I actually started weighing myself and had a notebook near the scales (in my drawer which is my toot, but is like a dressing table drawer) and started noting my weight in 2010. From there, I've learnt that I've lost over a stone in weight.

    Yoga and Pilates are great exercise (that I wish I could find the time to do). But I can't stress more about exercising... key to losing weight. Otherwise go for a walk (if you can't run). You can use the time to brainstorm your novel, so it's not wasted time ;-) But it's very easy exercising especially if you can't over exert yourself.

    Good luck with 2012!

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  12. This is a good list. Things to strive for, but nothing out of reach. Good luck!

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  13. Hi Rebecca, I followed you over here from Janice Hardy's blog!

    That's a really impressive list from last year. Around this time, the "How'd I do on last year's goals" posts I read online are mostly full of unmet goals and the reasons why. I'm pretty sure you have the best success record I've seen.

    I've been thinking about what kind of goals I want to set for next year--or if I want to set any at all. When I make them very specific, I usually find that my crazy life doesn't have room for "do X every day" type commitments. When I make them vague, then they're easy to forget about altogether. Still, it's probably good to have something in your targets like you do.

    Cheers!

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  14. Wow, very impressive achievements in 2011. Am sure with the focus you have that 2012 will be just as good. I too have several goals but am avoiding making them too crystal at the moment. Maybe my first resolution is to set some clear goals for 2012. I am finishing paid employment in March so need to have focus for then. Starting gluten free baking business and finishing novel. So resolution is to identify some clear goals for those two projects.
    Thanks for helping me decide to do that!
    Happy New Year!

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  15. Sounds like smart, reachable goals. Good luck with all of them and Happy 2012.

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  16. Oh, you did great with 2011! Finishing that first book is especially HUGE. It sort of snowballs from there because you get better at knowing what works for you. Sorry about the partner job loss--we've definitely been there and it does take some stuff off the table.

    I wish you the very best with your 2012 goals!

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  17. Cherie - Thank you. I also hope to get to a musical some day. I'm not sure it will be this year though, but it will remain on by bucket list anyway.

    Thank you Wendy, Happy New Year.

    Thank you Rosalind, I hope that when I do go to pilates the class is as small as yours was. That would be a good class.

    Mood - Thank you. It's all a awaiting game isn't it? I've started book two now, so I've something to keep me occupied :)

    Nicole - Thank you. It was a big push, but I'm glad I did it. I hope you manage to complete yours this year. Here's to a great 2012!

    Abi - Keeping my fingers crossed for the both of us! I manage to read while I'm eating my lunch at work. I'm that girl sat with her head in a book! :)

    Thank you Pat and Happy New Year.

    Thanks Annalisa. You used the right word - Pace - I'm not sure if I can keep it up, but I'm definitely going to give it a good try!

    Donna - Thank you and a great New Year for you.

    Thank you Julie - Happy 2012 to you!

    Teresa - Thank you. I can't believe you have 33,000 words of book two down already, while your still doing book one. I couldn't do that, I'd get far too confused and everything would go wrong.

    Well done on the weightloss! It doesn't seem much as your doing it, but then you look back after a period of time and see that it has actually been working. Steady does it.

    If I don't get to pilates, then I can always walk the dog (OH usually does it) and as you say, a good time to think through things.

    Have a great 2012!

    Thank you Sarah, Here's wishing you a positive 2012!

    Joe - Thanks for coming over and commenting! I need to go back to that thread and see who else has left their details since I commented.

    I think the majority of my goals were met because I made them in relation to things that were on my mind and important to me anyway. It just gave me a reminder that I had the specific aims. It was a positive year in many ways. Set yourself a goal that you are probably aiming for anyway, and put it down as a specific goal and it becomes reachable. Before you know it, as you see things crossed off, you come up with more and you find yourself doing brilliantly. Go on set some goals! :)

    Pennie - I'm happy to know that this post has urged you on with your own goals. It's easy to let these things slide and before you know it, half a year has passed.

    I'm sorry to hear about the job situation in March and can understand that completely. I wish you for you a good year. Good luck with the business and the writing goals. I look forward to hearing how they go.

    Susan - Thank you. Happy 2012!

    Hart - Thank you!Finishing the book did feel huge. A goal I'm glad I definitely met.
    Keeping fingers crossed in the job front, though it's tough over here at the minute, as it is everywhere.
    Have a great 2012!

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  18. Rebecca, I'm not quite that clever. When I finished writing my first novel, I started writing my second while I let the first 'rest'. I haven't written any more since about June last year :-( But need to pick it up again soon now I'm a RNA NWS member! :D

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