Round 1 * 2019 * Goal Post

Yes, you did read that right.  We’re heading into another year of the ROW80, the Writing Challenge that knows you have a life.  That’s eight years of words, creativity, community, support, even friendships… It’s been a wild ride, and we’ve changed, evolved, grown, shrunk, and rebuilt the engine a few times along the way.

What we’ve always done is set goals and support each other as we progress toward achieving those goals.

Which comes to today’s post…  the super-popular Goals Post!  (you have been waiting for it with abated breath, right? 😉 )

Setting goals these days might seem daunting.  We’re already so very busy.  It’s not the goals…  we know where we want to be in by the end of 80 Days (usually), but the “How do I get there?” can overwhelm us.  We can know all about setting S.M.A.R.T. goals, we can even have some great goals and strategies in mind, but we just-don’t-start.

Goals do us no good when we procrastinate and devote our energy towards things that don’t help us achieve them.  So..  may this, along with the links above, give you the tools and the determination to make Round 1 the start of a great new year of creativity.

Because you may wish to refer back to your goals throughout the round, I suggest you leave a link on the linky.  But as always, you can leave a comment or post in our FB group.

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Round 4 Check-in 12/12/18

As we close in on the end of this final round of words for 2018, do any of you have any thoughts on what we (your hosts, Shan, Denise and I) could do better to help make the ROW80 better for your needs.  Can’t promise we’ll be able to enact any of the suggestions, but who knows…  maybe you’ve got the perfect idea for our group.

I had an idea I’d like to toss to you all…  Since we have a smaller membership and we haven’t been using the linky, we’ve not needed sponsors for visits the way we used to.  We still need to keep supporting each other….  some of us more frequently, some of us a bit less.

So, what about one-on-one accountability partners?  People who’d like to be involved in this option would let me know, and I’d randomly pair you with another person who has signed up.  You’d set a schedule for checking in with each other (maybe you’d like to send your partner a text with your wordcount and pages of edits each day, maybe you’ll chat in Skype or Twitter about story problems you are dealing with….).  The point is, you’ll be boosting each other directly.

I know some of you already do something like this already in various forms.  But as our Mythic Writer, Kim noted in her end of NaNo check-in, we may not even know we could be getting this level of support in our group.  I’m just saying…  let’s do it.

And…  as always, we’re here for your regular weekly updates and check-ins too, here or on FB.

Have a great Wednesday

It’s THAT Goals Post — Round 4

Writers Write

GOALS!

It’s a little thing we do here at the ROW80 a few times a year (well, four to be exact).

Are you ready to post yours? Have you checked out goal creating strategies—a quick Google search will find you more than a few ways to set them.  Myself, I think simple is best, though many people love setting S.M.A.R.T. goals.  But if the process confounds you, you can always go back to basic and learn about goal-setting techniques.

Whatever method works best for you, use it.  Or as Yoda says:

Not that optimism doesn’t have it’s place, but…  it doesn’t get words on the page.

Anyway…  here’s your linky. Leave us all a note about what you’ve got planned for the next round, visit a few folks… who knows, you may get more great ideas.

Round 3: Post Your Goals

A series of goal posts… (cred: Bureau of Land Management via Wikimedia Commons)

Sorry for the delay in posting this, everyone…  power issues at home.  Now that I’ve relocated to a cafe and some solid wi-fi however, let’s get this post … posed, eh?

Are you all looking forward to the next leg of your writing journey — Round 3 of A Round of Words in 80 Days?  I hope so.

So clean off your to-do list and get posting them so we, your fellow ROWers, can help support you along the path.  If you need help planning for the upcoming 12-week journey, check out these links:

• Setting S.M.A.R.T. goals
• Why type should you set?
• Goals vs. Objectives

Once you’ve checked out the resources and devised your persona plan for the upcoming ROWnd, link up your posts here at our goal linky (or our FB page):

Round 2 Week 8 Sunday

Ever notice how fast the days seem to go by when you have a lot on your plate?  Makes it hard sometimes to really sink your head into something, such as good story or a new project….

Yet, as parents, professionals, writers — many of whom self-publish and thus handle so much more than just the “words on paper” part of publishing a book — we have to keep moving to keep ahead of the steady flow of changes around us.

At least some of those changes are somewhat predictable.  Like this one…  We’re nearing the end of Round 2, and once again, I’m looking for sponsors.  Think you’ve got what it takes?  Check out our page here, then contact me directly at mousefir (at) gmail (dot) com

Also…  I have a linky for you:

Round 2 Wednesday Check-in 1

from GIPHY

It’s here (WOOT!), the very first check-in for Round 2.  A chance to shine and set a clear course for a creative twelve weeks of words, research, editing, reading…  and pretty much everything else that makes for a healthy writer’s life.  We’ve got ROWers who offer chocolate updates…  it’s ALL good.  😀

Hope you’ve gotten a solid start these past few days, but if you haven’t, that’s OK.  Just point yourself forward and continue on.  You’ll get there.

For now, here’s our linky.  You can leave us a link to your progress in the comments, at the link or on our Facebook page.

The Goal Post: Round 2

“The best laid schemes o’ mice an’ men

Gang aft a-gley…”

To a Mouse by Robert Burns

Things haven’t been as organized here at A Round of Words in 80 Days as they should, or even could (I fear), be.  A lot of the grand plans have gotten mislaid…  or even sidelined as life has taken its due.  We are, thankfully, The Writing Challenge That Knows You Have  a Life.

One thing that doesn’t change however is the way we ROW.

We have goals. 

We set our goals. We state those goals.  We share our progress in achieving those goals, and then we check-in with our fellow ROWers and offer support and encouragement.

How you go about setting your goals for the next twelve weeks is up to you.  Some of us like to establish S.M.A.R.T goals with specific targets in mind.  A few take a more casual approach, setting their goals as Life does its thing.  Some like to propel themselves forward in small steps, while others leap bravely into the year.

There is no one way to ROW, no “one way to achieve your dream”.  You need to set some goals, but then…  the rest is up to you.

State your goals here: