I know that I'm a planner, I'm all about Making a Plan and following it. Or, rather, not so much about following it, as having an End Goal in mind and focusing on it.
Lately though I've felt rather aimless. We're paying down our debt and living frugally... but it doesn't seem like there's a real goal in mind.
So DH and I sat down and wrote some goals. Then we crossed off the ones that we couldn't BOTH agree to work on together.
You'll note that "Heather wants to have another baby" was vetoed.
Grumble grumble.
So was my Photography Course. But, going to a writer's conference was not, as long as I paid for it with my writing money. Which, duh, I was going to do anyway since "Make $1000 a month writing" was up there.
I'm very focused on making some more money writing at the moment because of our debt situation. I just need to kick it up a notch. For about 3 years I've consistently made $1000 per month writing, but with the two books... I've backed off. Now I want to take on just a smidge of extra work and up my income.
I think DH and I agreed on a few major goals: me writing from home full time, us owning a house, him getting a good job that he can retire from in 15-20 years. I don't ever want to retire from writing.
Sell another book was on there too, I think I have more proposals in me, and one that has a pretty good chance of getting accepted with one of my publishers.
I was partly perturbed at having to 'goal check' with my husband, but really, he is my partner, right? He's the one that has to pick up the slack when I'm on deadline. So maybe it is something I should do more often. He is a Show Me The Money type of guy, he wants to know what kind of ROI we'd be getting with each financial commitment. Sometimes that's a little grey... I think that if it's professional development then there isn't really an ROI... or maybe there is and I just have to think like an investor to figure it out...
Do you set goals for your writing? And if so, what role does your spouse play?
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3 comments:
I'm not sure that professional development doesn't have an ROI. You invest time to make less time when writing something? Isn't that a return? I.e - four years ago it took me a year to finish a book, start to finish - now it takes me six months, with imposed time in between the first and second drafts. I invested time to learn the craft and spend less time on those bits of the craft now, because I'm confident. Maybe I'm wierd though ;)
As for my partner - he's my cheering squad - my guide, my muse, my light in the dark. Sounds kinda soppy, I know, but he's also my biggest critic. He'll tell me (like Katie-Anne Gustafsson of http://wakeupwriting.com) where something works, and where it doesn't. :)
Oh I think Professional Development does have an ROI, but the question is - how do you calculate it. Can you say for sure what was earned because of that PD?
I should mention, my husband does support me, but he has expectations. He doesn't want to see me surfing facebook when I'm supposed to be writing!
I'd love to earn five grand a month from writing. :)
I just started freelancing a year ago and have a few steady gigs. Would love to kick it up another notch too!
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