Month-End Update: February 2017

And so ends the too-short month of February. Fun fact (courtesy of my new Amazon Echo): apparently, February used to have more days, but the emperor Augustus stole a few for August so his namesake month wouldn’t be the shortest. Talk about ego!

Anyway, I hope your February was productive and cheerful. As you’ll read below, I spent the month catching up on some of my smaller goals. While I still have some work to do on the writing front and I haven’t stepped foot in the gym, I’m in a really positive place right now. March should be an even better month, as I have a few exciting personal events planned (including my 25th birthday!) and I’ll have a two-week time span that I can devote almost entirely to drafting Desertera #3.

Check out my more detailed recap below, then share your own successes and goals in the comments!

Writing & Publishing

Main goals:
Create five days a week – on track
Write Desertera #3 – on track

While I made overall progress in February and stuck to my larger creation goal, I’m not where I would like to be word-count-wise with Desertera #3. Part of this is that I finally figured out the aspects of the plot that were bugging me, which meant I spent some of my drafting time revising chapters I’d already written. I also went down the research rabbit hole of a future idea, which was a fun, but irresponsible, choice.

Perhaps the most exciting writing update is that I have booked my editing date for Desertera #3 (mid-May)! Given that I do my best work with a deadline, I’m confident I’ll pick up the pace over March and April and get this manuscript knocked out on schedule.

Business

Main goals:
Make $2,000 from Boxthorn Press – slightly behind
Blog twice per week – on track
Maintain social media schedule – on track
Read 52 books this year – slightly behind

As I said last month, I’ve adjusted my marketing and production goals already, so I’m fine with my financial progress thus far. It should be relatively easy to get back on track when Desertera #3 launches (hopefully in late July!). On the blogging front, I am really enjoying the subtle changes I’ve made to the website and have happily hosted a few guest posts. (If you’d like to submit an article, just contact me!)

My social media schedule is back on track. At its core, my aim is to put out consistent, high-quality, and REAL content for my readers and fellow authors. No ridiculously staged photos or click-baity stuff here. Likewise, I’m catching up on my reading goal and have had a lot of fun diving into witchcraft research for a future series.

Books Read:
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs – 4 stars
#GIRLBOSS by Sophia Amoruso – 4 stars
The Devil’s Dominion: Magic and Religion in Early New England by Richard Godbeer – 4 stars

Book in Progress: Damned Women: Sinners and Witches in Puritan New England
by Elizabeth Reis

Next Up: Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 10, Volume 1 by Joss Whedon

Personal

Main Goals:
Work on positivity – better!
Exercise 3x per week – um…
Break a bad habit – on track
Make post-Yale plan – started!

After a difficult end to 2016 and rough January, I’m thrilled to report that my personal goals are moving along. My husband has received an offer to a PhD program, so we’re starting to formulate a new five-year plan. Even in the wake of all this change, I’ve kept a positive attitude and feel at peace with where my life is now. While March looks busy (sorry, gym!), I think it will be a great month for planning and introspection (by which I mean my quarter-life “crisis” – happy early birthday to me!).

Goals for March
Continue drafting Desertera #3
Have my quarter-life crisis (Seriously, I’m so excited for an excuse to be selfishly introspective!)
Keep refining my balance between writing and other responsibilities

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How did February treat you? What are your goals for March? Share in the comments!