Setting realistic goals…

Means you’re more likely to meet them.

It can be difficult to know when to push yourself to meet a goal and when to adjust it. 2021 is winding down and I’m looking back on my year and doing a progress check.

My main New Year’s resolution was to publicly step into the world as a writer, taking active steps toward querying agents for my YA fantasy novel SEEDS OF POWER. That’s a big vague goal, but my previous career involved many SMART goal training sessions (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Time-Based) so I was able to break that down into tasks to accomplish.

Goal 1: Join writing group and share work regularly (with strangers instead of friends/family) starting in winter. Check. I joined two groups in January, stuck with one. My entire book was reviewed by my amazing fantasy/scifi writing group this summer and I have been editing ever since. They reenergized me and gave me the direction I needed to make SEEDS OF POWER better. They are currently reviewing the sequel. Due to their feedback, I have already improved my writing skills just from the awareness of my weaknesses—and practice, of course.

Goal 2: Launch website and social media accounts (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook) in spring. Check. BethGreenBooks is up with a consistent blog, email account, and social media profiles that have connected me with readers, reviewers, and authors all over the world. I was anxious about the professional side of this writing journey, but I made myself figure it out and it has been truly life-changing. Calling myself a writer has been incredible in terms of identity, focus, and confidence. The connections made, the things learned, the support gained… I am incredibly thankful for the reading, writing, and publishing community. You made my 2021 pretty amazing.

Goal 3: Research agents/make list by fall. This is still a work in progress. The excel spreadsheet was created and a smattering of agents put in, but I have not begun dedicated work in this area because I am busy maintaining the website/social media accounts and editing my manuscript. I have allowed myself to push this task back. I’ll dig in after my book is out for its next beta round.

Goal 4: Send first query letter before January 1^st, 2022 (unless not ready). So yeah, nope. I have purposely, confidently moved this to 2022 spring because I am still editing and want one final round of beta review before sending anything to an agent. I need to know that readers had a chance to catch rough transitions or plot holes since I made big cuts in the beginning and added some new scenes. I am perfectly fine with changing the timeframe on this goal because I want to query my best work. I am in no hurry. The work is the most important part of this entire endeavor. I have a desire to publish my books someday and it can wait until I feel ready.

So here in the month of thanksgiving, I am grateful for the support of my family and friends, am proud of 2021’s accomplishments, have targeted editing to be done by Jan 1^st, and am excited for what 2022 will hold for me on this writing journey.

Now, it’s time for me to sit down and edit more already…