Goals - Gotta Haves or Maybe Nots?

I'm a big fan of goals. I have big ones, I have little ones - short-term goals, long-term goals - what can I say, I'm a planner by nature!

Recently, as in since early November, I have been on a marketing tear. I have been writing in blogs since 2004, writing books since 2008, and generally writing (more or less) for most of my life.

And when I start with the marketing, especially if I start first thing in the morning, it absolutely KILLS my creativity. So does...

-dealing with finances
-checking email
-reading the news
-getting on Facebook

And a dozen other things.

And I spent most of this past weekend at the computer screen, but creating NOTHING, just marketing, coming up with stories to write in the future, and gnashing my teeth over not being sure WHAT to write.

So when I woke up this morning at 3:30 a.m. and could NOT go back to sleep (thank you menopause induced insomnia!) I thought, "I'm going to go and sit down at the computer and write at least 1,000 words before doing anything else."

And you know what?

I did just that.

Heck, I started out with 601 words in the current chapter I was writing and ended up with 2,582 before I wrapped it up. So that's nearly TWICE my goal!

I like setting goals. It feels good to accomplish them and I feel empowered to make more, even bigger ones as a result.

By my computer, I have a list of financial goals. Here is what they say:

1. Pay all bills at least 10 days before they are due.
2. Have $2,000 in cash available at all times (right now I have $70, I have a ways to go!)
3. Increase emergency savings to a full $5,000 and keep it at that level.
4. Now pay all bills at least 15 days before they are due.
5. Increase saving swith CIT bank to a minimum of $10,000 (right now I have $700)
6. Increase savings to keep us in the black for a full six months of basic spending.
7. Eliminate all debts that assess interest (even a mortgage!)

For now, with my writing, I hope to continue with this 1,000 words per day before anything else and see how long I can do it. I've got plenty of books that need writing after all!

Christine Shuck is a writer, artist, and general malcontent living in Kansas City, Missouri. She has written six books, five of which are published on Amazon. You can learn more about her by signing up for her newsletter, visiting her author website or one of her blogs:

The Deadly Nightshade - covers diy, sustainability, gardening, cooking, crafts, community and more

The Learning Advocate - touches on parenting, education and more

The Cottages - focuses on our renovations of two bungalows in Historic Northeast Kansas City and their future as Airbnb properties

She’s written six books, five of which are currently on Amazon:
Gliese 581: The Departure – A sci-fi thriller
War’s End: The Storm – A dystopian tale about the Second American Civil War in the day after tomorrow
War’s End: A Brave New World – The sequel to War’s End: The Storm
The War on Drugs: An Old Wives Tale – Part memoir, part call to action on ending the War on Drugs in America
Get Organized, Stay Organized – down-to-earth advice on how our lives became so cluttered, and how we can change