Completing a Goal

I finished the complete revision of MS:SB and it felt so good to complete the goal before 2020 ended. This was a project I started way back in the beginning of the year and I almost let it go. I knew if I did, I would only be slowing down the work I want to complete in 2021, so I hunkered down and held fast to the goal to get it done.

A couple of things REALLY helped me complete this process and I’m excited to bring those tools with me into the new year. The first is a set of dry erase boards, one with a monthly view and one with a weekly view, hung up behind my monitor in my office area. Having the timeline I had set for myself to get the work done in front of me whenever I was able to get down there to work was very motivating. The next was my plot-board, which was one of my favorite things in this revision process. My plot-board is made up of a half dozen 12″x12″ cork-board tiles hung in a grid to the left of my dry erase board calendars. On the plot-board, I wrote a three to four sentence description of each chapter of the novel I was working on onto small index cards and hung them up in rows. Every time I completed a chapter, I flipped the card over and wrote the number of the chapter. When I combined chapters (which happened several times) I put the cards in a stack. It was so satisfying to watch the board flip from a wall of words to simple numbers telling me where I was at in the process of my work. The last tool that I am very excited about using is a specific goal planner. I’ve used a weekly/daily planner for the last few years for my personal life and absolutely love it, but the one goal planner I bought years ago wasn’t that great. This year however, I did some research and settled on a PowerSheets planner and am loving it so far. I’m excited to move into 2021 with the system and to see how it helps me in a full year.

Now that the goals that have been lingering for months are complete and I’ve accomplished as much as I have in me to accomplish for 2020, I plan to relax for the last two weeks of the year. I have a sketched out plan for the major goals I want to accomplish in 2021, and they will require some work before January first, but I’m going to take my time to leisurely get the work done. This year has been difficult and challenging for all of us, and I want to take time while my children are on break from school to be fully present with them.

I know this time of year, especially this year, is hard. I’m wishing you small comforts, bright spots, and peace as we get ready to close out a difficult year. Always, in case you haven’t been told today, know that you are more than enough.

Happy Writing!