Time Management Tuesday: Are You Using Your Time The Way You Planned To?

I've been thinking for a while that I need to check my New Year's goals and objectives. I wasn't eager to do it, because I suspected that I haven't been staying with the program, and who wants to have that confirmed? As it turns out, I've been doing better than I thought.

Goal 1. Finish the revision of The Fletcher Farm Body  Done.

Goal 3. Complete a draft of the so-called mummy book  My objectives were to get up to speed on this project by February and start working on this then. It didn't happen until May, but I do have 9 chapters toward meeting this goal now.

Goal 4. Make submissions  I've only met one objective here for this goal, the one regarding an agent search.

Goal 5. Continue to work on community building  I've only managed two objectives, continuing the Connecticut Children's Lit Calendar and looking for a writers' group. I may have found one just this week.

Goal 6. Continue marketing Saving the Planet & Stuff eBook  I've met several of the objectives for this goal, restarting the Environmental Book Club, getting the trailer up at Twitter, and reducing the price for a week around Earth Day.

The goal I've really fallen down on is 2. Write a number of short pieces All I've done is work on the Statics and Dynamics for Writers essay.

How Will I Use My Time The Rest Of The Year?

• Goal 3. Finish a draft of the mummy book, I hope by September when I go on vacation.
• Goal 2. Write short pieces Anything.
• Goal 4.  Make submissions. I hope of some of the short pieces from Goal 2.
• Goal 5. Work on community building. See how things go with the writers' group, and it would be terrific if I could find a workshop or other program for later this year.
• Goal 6. Continue marketing Saving the Planet & Stuff eBook.

In January I also wanted to check up on myself each week to make sure that a good chunk of my time went toward objectives to meet my goals, an idea I got from Peter Bregman's 18 Minutes. I haven't been doing that at all. But I still have half a year to get started on that.

Check your goals and objectives for the year. You can feel good about what you've accomplished and decide which ones you want to focus on for the next six months.