#ROW80 End of Week Two Check-in: Slow ROC and ROW

Hey there, ROW80 friends!

It’s the end of Week Two – and what a week it was. A power outage, an internet outage, lunch with my lifelong bestie Eden Mabee… and back to work after my three weeks of vacation that included the flu…

I didn’t get quite as far as in Week One. Sleep was a casualty, because I was using the internet whenever we had it, so Wednesday ended up being a sleep catch-up day more than anything else.

Then Thursday and Friday were all about client care – getting caught up after vacation and wonky internet.

Yesterday was about getting to the other things that didn’t happen earlier in the week – hometending, family admin, and working on the goals I set aside for my clients.

I could have pushed to get that writing goal started. I could have pushed to finish the testimonials, and not adapted the freebie goal. But, if I had, I would have been doing more than felt okay.

Something that’s been hard for me to learn is that it doesn’t all always need to get done, or get done when I thought it should be. It’s okay to stop and say, “This is enough for this week.”

Actually, sometimes it’s better than okay. Once rested, having accepted my personal limitations and done-ness, I came back to things with renewed vigor and new creative energy.

What I did was enough. It was reasonable, given the week. And I’m satisfied.

Week Two Goals:

Completed goals:    78%
In progress goals:   11%
Still waiting goals:  11%

I removed a goal for this week, because it no longer makes sense to do it now.

Decide on spring rate increase for Robin; send notification. OFFLINE FOR PREP; ONLINE FOR NOTIFICATION. I have a base increase amount in mind for spring; but she may want to up her scope, and, if so, I’ll offer her a different rate for that, starting with her next invoice in February. Dropping this goal for now; we need to figure out some things first.

And I’ve adapted one as well. That will appear in-line.

1. Complete the KDP formatting tutorial. ONLINE. Done! It wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be, and now I know where to find help if/when I need it during the formatting process.
2. Schedule my next #8sentencesunday excerpt for 1/22/23 and share in linky list. ONLINE, WITH OFFLINE PREP. I set everything up early – and apparently lost it when the power went out. No matter; I rewrote and finished it a lot more easily with reliable internet!
3. Try to set up a chat with Nikki; share and post in Sacred Biz Rebels and Spirit Sanctorium. ONLINE.  I’ve made the first steps to set up the chat and posted a response or two in Sacred Biz Rebels; posted an intro in Spirit Sanctorium.
4. Check in with Camille and Joni about Quiet the Quagmire booking. ONLINE. Checked in with both. Joni is ready to book this week, so I’ll be drawing up her work agreement and invoice in the next day or so. That leaves me just one January space to fill! =)
5. Complete Lesson 15 of How to Revise Your Novel. OFFLINE I could push to get this done this week, but it will be more productive if I do it next week, after some rest.
6. Finish branding and add my freebie to my site; update nurture sequence buttons in ConvertKit. ONLINE. Looked up how to embed the pdf once branded; here’s that link in case I need it again later. https://wordpress.com/support/embed-a-pdf-file/. I’ve adapted this because making the PDF in Canva was a bigger project than I thought it would be. I enjoyed it, but pushing to do the last bits this week when I can easily wrap them up after resting and recuperating doesn’t make sense or fit with my concept of easeful progress. Calling this done at finishing the pdf.
7. Create Izzi’s video testimonial template and Joni’s testimonial; share Joni’s to FB and Twitter. ONLINE. Found a template to build on for Izzi; finished everything on Joni’s but the image, which I’ve asked her for. I’ll send her the template for approval at the same time.
8. Reach out to Lillian re: exit interview completion. ONLINE. Done. This was a quick IM, just a reminder.
9.  Create three basic content baskets for the year; brainstorm topics for each one for 11:11. OFFLINE. My three baskets are Learning; Connection; and Let Me Help. I’ve completed brainstorming for all of them, and I got a lot more ideas written down than I expected to!  Next up will be sorting them into some form of structure to work from.

This is where a lot of focus went this week.

Week Three Goals:

Completed goals:      10%
In progress goals:     10%
Still waiting goals:    80%

1. Complete formatting for light shines; shadow falls.
2. Schedule my next #8sentencesunday excerpt for 1/29/23 and share in linky list.
3. Follow up with Nikki; share and post in Sacred Biz Rebels and Spirit Sanctorium.
4. Follow up with Camille and Michelle (Quiet the Quagmire booking leads).
5. Complete Lesson 15 of How to Revise Your Novel.
6. Add my freebie to my site; update nurture sequence buttons in ConvertKit; announce the mailing list on FB and Twitter.
7. Finish Izzi’s video testimonial template and Joni’s testimonial; share Joni’s to FB and Twitter. I just need to add Joni’s image when she sends it to me; Izzi’s will need more attention but is started.
8. Reach out to Lillian again re: exit interview completion.
9. Create a basic sharing structure for my 2023 content baskets and brainstormed content.  
10.  Write and share a #fanficstacks story for this week.
    
    

If you’re wondering how these weekly goals fit into my larger goals, here are those lists. Bolded items are in progress or completed.

January 2023 Goals:

Completed goals: 33%
In progress goals:   67%
Still waiting goals:     0%

1. Finish formatting light shines; shadow falls. This starts in earnest next week.
2. Resume sharing excerpts on #8sentencesunday.
3. Set earning goals for Q1 and monthly.
4. Meet earning goals for January. I’m currently at $750 for the month so far, with a booking imminent.
5. Set booking goals for Q1 and monthly.
6. Meet booking goals for January. A booking is imminent, leaving one to secure by month’s end.
7. Complete Lesson 15 of How to Revise Your Novel. Should be done by week’s end.
8. Launch and publicize newsletter. Moving forward with setting up nurture sequence.
9. Create a basic marketing/content plan for the year. I’ve got my content baskets and brainstormed topics; next week, I’ll start building out the structure.

A stormy power outage several years ago, when a tree fell across the road.

Q1 Goals:

1. Format and publish light shines; shadow falls.
2. Share excerpts on #8sentencesunday until finished or end of quarter.
3. Meet earning goals for Q1.
4. Meet booking goals for Q1.
5. Complete Lessons 15-17 of How to Revise Your Novel.
6. Launch and publicize newsletter; publish biweekly content.
7. Create a basic marketing/content plan for the year.

Writing/Business Goals for 2023:

1. Publish and market light shines; shadow falls.
2. Earn 3x what I did last year (a little over 30k).
3. Market and fully book QtQ programs.
4. Finish How to Revise Your Novel.
5. Engage/connect/interact with clients, potential clients, and readers.

And that’s all I have for now. I’ve decided to skip the Trello board for this round and save myself some energy and time.

How are your goals going? Do you have a favorite project? Is there a specific win you’re celebrating, or a challenge you’d like cheering on for?

Finding beauty and inspiration even in adversity…

ROW80/ROC80 is a writing/creativity challenge. You set your own creativity goal or goals and work on them for 80 days. If they aren’t a good fit for you, you’re free to change them. Check-ins with the community on Wednesdays and Sundays, so we can cheer you on or help you pick yourself up.

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