In order to make progress in whatever it is you do, SMART goals are an essential part of the process.
S - Specific
M - Measurable
A - Achievable
R - Realistic
T - Timely
At the beginning of 2021, I set some writing and writing-related goals. I am pleased to say that I achieved (mostly) each of these goals.
1. Write creatively everyday for one hour. This falls under mostly successful. I didn't write everyday, but I did write most days. I participated in NaNoWriMo as well.
2. Engage on social media (see social media goals). Increase the following: brand awareness (measured by number of followers and reach of posts, including mentions, shares and retweets); website traffic (measured by number of visitors to website and blog); lead generation (measured by newsletter sign-ups); and engagement (measured by likes, shares, comments, mentions, and replies). I saw increases to the number of followers on each social media platform except YouTube which stayed the same as 2020. My website, blog, and Pinterest had steady daily traffic. My social media posts were shared and liked, although I didn't receive many comments. My newsletter mailing list had a net increase of 64 people. Some of my posts had hundreds of shares and likes.
3. Publish A Fairy's Quest. I submitted my book in late 2020 and published it on April 6, 2021.
4. Publish A Fairy Godmother's Redemption. I submitted my book in early 2021 and published it on July 27, 2021.
5. Write A Magical's Gift. I started writing this book for NaNoWriMo 2020 and finished the first draft in September... some 310 days later. I have submitted it for publication.
Bonus Goal:
1. Revamp website. I'm always tweaking my site and updating images. This year, I went dark... Well, I changed to a dark theme. It is very dramatic with a black background and white text. Images against the black "white space" really pop out. I also incorporated my new logo, and added links to my book covers.
This year, I made positive strides focusing on my author platform and brand. If I'm going to be serious about writing—which I am—I need to set and achieve SMART goals.
As I look to 2022, I think about what I want to accomplish in the next year. I want to publish A Magical's Gift, finish writing this year's NaNoWriMo project which is Book One of a new series (I'm 37k in), and write Book Two. The new series is set to be a trilogy, and the pipe dream is to finish all three books next year, but that goal doesn't sound very achievable or realistic with everything else I have on my plate. I have more than enough ideas, but time is at a premium. On the author platform side, I'd like to increase social media followers and engagement; my newsletter mailing list; and my blog subscribers. I'll set my SMART goals and let you know how I measured up next year.
