Well, here we are at the end of another year. Time to set some genealogy and writing goals. Below are my 2013 goals, and also the “report card” for how I did with those goals I outlined in my “Twelve for ’12” post.
Goals for 2013
Some of my goals remain the same, but I have replaced a few and have added some new ones.
1. Ramp up my freelance career to achieve a financially profitable business, and keep a successful balance between writing, speaking, and teaching (including more Webinars).
2. Publish a new book. (Note to Self: Put fingers to keyboard!!!)
3. Publish Kindle, iPad, and Nook versions of my Baba’s Kitchen and Three Slovak Women books.
4. Step out of my comfort zone and branch out into new writing markets (Query at least three non-genealogy publications and get the assignments).
5. Continue my search for information about my grandmother’s brother who stayed in Slovakia.
6. Find out more about another ancestor who left Slovakia for Argentina.
7. Find my great-grandfather’s death record! (After an unsuccessful search in Slovakia this summer both at the church in his village, and nearby records offices, I have to expand my search to include other geographical locations, and investigate some theories as to what could have happened.
8. Be a better time manager. I must eliminate distractions (including social media and others) and focus on what I need to get done. I also need to prioritize projects and choose those that will provide the maximum benefit.
9. Work smarter, not harder. Find ways to streamline my work load. This includes saying “no” even if it may upset someone, and not obsess so much about my writing in order to curtail my number of drafts and revisions (I will always strive to do my best work, but do not have to be “perfect”).
10. Continue purging excess clutter. Move more in the direction of paperless systems; organize my home office!
11. Be a better Blogger. I hope to be able to write more Blog posts for this Blog and some guest posts on other Blogs.
12. Schedule time for me. I want to eat healthier, exercise more, and get plenty of rest, as well as schedule “down” time for activities I enjoy.
13. Eliminate any negative thoughts, energies, and activities that serve as obstacles or block me from achieving my goals.
Year-End Report on Goals for 2012
Thanks to my genealogy “buddy” (Donna Pointkouski who writes the “What’s Past is Prologue“ blog), I received encouragement and gentle prodding. We didn’t stay in touch as often as we should have, but hopefully that will change in the New Year.
1. Continue to diversify my freelance career to achieve a financially successful balance between writing, speaking, and teaching. I did a good job with this goal, taking on new writing assignments, presenting several Webinars , at a number of different conferences, and teaching some new online courses.
2. Publish a new book. I regret that this simply just did not happen. Life just got in the way. Namely, I made the transition to a full time freelancer, and also took a course in how to start a business, which took up nine weeks of my time from September-November. (Optimistically: There’s always 2013!)
3. Explore e-Publishing. Publish Kindle, iPad, and Nook versions of my Baba’s Kitchen and Three Slovak Women books. (See #2)
4. Investigate new writing markets. Step out of my comfort zone and branch out into new writing markets (Query at least three non-genealogy publications and get the assignments). This one is still in progress. I complete two out of three queries and have pending assignments.
5. Continue my search for information about my grandmother’s brother who stayed in Slovakia. I made a small bit of progress on this, but am still working on it.
6. Find out more about another ancestor who left Slovakia for Argentina. I researched in Slovakia in June 2012 and have a few more clues and leads, but the research will continue.
7. Finally explore genealogy offerings in Second Life. I signed up for my account and that’s about it (NO TIME for my REAL life let alone a “Second” Life!!!!)
8. Develop and present more webinars/virtual lectures. I was a presenter for two “virtual” conferences and for a number of webinars including Legacy Family Tree, Illinois State Genealogical Society, and Georgia Genealogical Society.
9. Learn more about Google Plus (G+) and how I can use it for genealogy/writing. I explored a bit, but I know I have not tapped into the full potential.
10. Continue purging excess clutter. Move more in the direction of paperless systems; organize my home office! I was moderately successful. I donated and eliminated many things I no longer needed, but I still have a long way to go. And the office: It’s a constant battle!
11. Write more blog posts (both on this blog and The Catholic Gene). I was unable to do this (See #2)
12. Eliminate any negative thoughts, energies, and activities that serve as obstacles or block me from achieving my goals. I feel I was pretty successful with this goal, but I can always do better!
http://theaccidentalgenealogist.blogspot.com/atom.xml
Wow Lisa, it takes courage to write a post like this! Thank you! You seem to have many of the same issues I do and it is tremendously encouraging to know that someone with your level of expertise has some of the same challenges.
Impressive, Lisa! I have noticed you on some webinars, so I know you are getting out there. With such an all-encompassing list, I'd say you'll have to add one more, once you get all this done: write a book on how to do it, so the rest of us can join you!
…although…by the time you get to "Twenty in '20" you should win the Wonder Woman award!
Great list, Lisa, and great work on your goals from 2012! I've been working on mine as well. Some I'll blog, others will stay personal. May you have success in 2013!
~ Stephanie
Wow Lisa, it takes courage to write a post like this! Thank you! You seem to have many of the same issues I do and it is tremendously encouraging to know that someone with your level of expertise has some of the same challenges.