My Blog Goals

 

I hate writing down goals. I know, I know, you're supposed to, and make them something measurable and all that. But I've never been able to do that. I don't like tangible goals, because then you can fail so easily. I'm the type of person that once I start failing on a goal, it's a slippery downward spiral.

For example, I don't diet (because I honestly can't be bothered, and I think I live a moderately healthy lifestyle already) because if I did, one cheat day would turn into all the cheat days. And after a week that diet would be a goner.

But despite myself, I've decided to write down my blog goals, and maybe try to actually achieve them. Baby steps. These goals aren't perfect. They don't have numbers and percentage increases. But they do exist now somewhere other than my mind, and that means you can hold me accountable. You can say, "Hey, Kait, have you worked on achieving X goal lately?" and I can shrink down and avoid eye contact. Or (big hopefully here) I can smile and say "Yep, I've totally been doing A, B, and C this past week!"

Without further ado, here they are:

1. Organize my blogging schedule better

Why: Other than to appease my obsessive compulsion, it might make me a little more accountable to post on time. Also, scheduling will make it easier to post time-sensitive material.

How:

• Project management software
• Redefine my blog post workflow
• Stop leaving half finished drafts around!

2. Connect with other bloggers to build a community

Why: A lot of people I know in real life just don't "get" blogging. It's nice to have a group of people to bounce ideas off and lean on when I need support for things like writer's block.

How:

• #Twitterchats!
• Be more active in SoFab and 20sb, my blogging networks
• Promoting real discussions by commenting instead of liking things

3. Promote my blog better

Why: I don't just write for my own health, although that is a big reason. I also want my words out there, and I want acknowledgement that what I do and say could actually be important.

How:

• Be more active with promotions on social media
• Learn about SEO techniques and utilize them
• Discover new social networks and figure out how to use them properly

Things I Loved This Week (And Last!)

Sneak peak: Next week's multigrain cocoa-cinnamon buns!

What I'm Reading

All Roads Lead to Home (Bellingwood Series): I started reading this book series, and I absolutely love the characters! But Diane Greenwood Muir doesn't let the plot suffer either. There is mystery and intrigue, and I am totally hooked! Here's a quick plot description to draw you in: "Polly Giller returns to small-town Iowa from Boston ready to start a new life. She is renovating an old school building and while getting to know new friends, two sets of bones fall out of the ceiling."

Around the Web

When I see the phrase "Amazon bestselling author," I assume your book hit #1 in some obscure category like Underwater Locked Room Mysteries.
— Chuck Wendig (@ChuckWendig) January 27, 2015

A backlit Belgian Trippel, follow me on Instagram for more!

#TheWriteParty: I joined my first Twitter chat this week and it was awesome! I met some fantastic writers, and learned some new points of view about the creative process. Are you a writer too? Join in Thursday at 7, hosted by TheWriteWoman

I write by pen and paper. Tedious, yes. Old school, yes. But, oh the catharsis. #TheWriteParty
— amber thomas (@mrthomasandme) January 30, 2015

This article from Business Insider uses Richard Feynman as an example to show that having more mental models can make unsolvable problems solvable: "If you only have one framework for thinking about the world, then you'll try to fit every problem you face into that framework."

An extremely interesting story by Zachary McDermott, where he discusses his mental illness from a first person perspective: "I could tell the people on the sidewalk were actors, but just barely. They resembled the normal East Village lot, but they were archetypes"

Awesome Instagrams

• This shelf office set-up is basically my dream. Loving the vertical space use!
• This hippo is so happy! I hope everyone has a day like this.
• Food52 regrammed this delectable looking salted hot chocolate. Yum!
• The hot air balloons just make these rock formations even more stunning.
• Beautiful watercolor and good advice all in one gram? Love it.
• Take me to New Orleans please! I can't resist the French Quarter arhcitecture.
• These gorgeous drinks are making me consider some day cocktails
• Canyonlands is definitely on my list. I need to get to traveling!
• Can everyday be National Peanut Butter Day if we get these cookies?

The whiskey is downstairs. I am upstairs. This is #thestruggle.
— Jessica Stapf (@jstapfinator) January 24, 2015