RoW R4 Week Three - Wednesday Update

I'd like to start out by apologizing to all of my Round of Words in 80 Days friends for my abrupt absence over the past two and a half weeks.  Life has been hitting me hard.  If you'd like to know more about my situation, you can find a link to this post here.

Needless to say, my progress in RoW has been as scant as my blog posts.  I've gotten little to no work done toward any of my goals, but I'm ready to turn things around this week.  The loss of these first 17 days has caused me to reevaluate some of my goals, and to make one significant change.

As I, and likely many of you, prepare for NaNoWriMo, an assessment of my writing situation was needed.  My RoW plan called for my preparation toward a brand new novel.  However, the loss of time, and reflection upon my current situation in my writing career, has driven me to go rogue.  Typically, NaNoWriMo "requires" that the 50,000 words be in a brand new project.  Instead, I'll be using my 50k to finish last year's NaNo novel.  I'm currently at between 60,000 and 65,000 words, and I'm sure that the completion of the draft will require at least 50,000 more, so my NaNo goal is to finish "Mage Rising" (working title).

I'm sure I could use all the motivation I can get to push through the month of November, so if any of you are participating, please friend me!  Under the "Connect With Me" sidebar, I have a link to my NaNoWriMo profile, so look me up when you get a minute.

As far as the rest of my RoW goals, I've made little progress, so I'll leave updates on those to my Sunday update.

How are your goals coming?  Accomplished anything crazy?  Leave me a comment so we can share in your glory!

Life at a Crossroads

As much as I hate cliches, I have to admit that I'm beginning to feel like I've been living in the middle of one for longer than I'd care to admit.  It's true... I'm stuck at a crossroads.

The worst part isn't that I can't make the decision, but that I'm still staring back at that crossroads after the decision, trying to decide if I made the right one or not.

I've posted a little bit about this in previous posts, but I'd like to share a little of my current personal situation with all of you.  I've been working in a management position at a local non-profit for over two and a half years now, and for the majority of the last two years I've been very unhappy.  I don't want to go into details, but suffice it to say that the company hasn't been meeting my expectations, and vice versa.

Meanwhile, my wife has been on-again, off-again about going into the military.  We currently have two daughters, aged four and six.  Circumstances kept my wife from joining until now, but most if not all of those circumstances no longer apply.  Five months ago, my wife came to me, finally sure that she was ready to join, and was seeking my blessing.  Because of her fluctuating desires, I told her I'd support her if she could prove that she was really committed.  Over the next months, she proved it.

Fast forward to September 12th, when my boss issued me a 90-day performance improvement plan, essentially a "ship up or ship out" ultimatum.  Later that same week, my wife came to me again, decisive in her desire to move her ship date up from March to October/November.

Part of the reason I hadn't been freaking out about her leaving was the length of time before her ship date.  I still had six months to get used to the idea, and suddenly we're looking at her leaving in weeks instead of months.  I soul-searched, and told her I was okay with the expedited date.

What's not to like, right?  I get to stay home with my kids, give them the attention they need, and I get to finally embark full-time on my writing career.  Well, this has to come at the sacrifice of proximity to everyone I care about outside my wife and kids as I follow her cross-country (or further!) to let her live her dream.  All along the path of preparation, I have many family members complaining about her decision to me, I believe to try to get me to change her mind.

These past few weeks have been very difficult for me, and I'd fallen into a bout of depression, at least until a couple days ago.  I withdrew from everything, including writing, work, family... I was an introspective hermit.  It always amazes me how, when you get down on yourself, you withdraw from all the things that will make you happy.  It makes me wonder why God would design us that way.

Back to the crossroads.  I'm nearly certain I made the right decision, but those other paths look so inviting.  To visualize, it feels like I could have turned left or right along the edge of a dense forest, following the sunlight and clear flowing streams, but instead I chose the dark, lonely path through the forest.  I know that, eventually, this path should open up into a beautiful meadow, but it's hard not to doubt my choice as the darkness closes around me.  I just have to stay as positive as I can, and look at the path ahead as an adventure, and not a mistake.

Have you ever had a time in your life when you felt so uncertain about a decision you made?  How did it turn out?  What did you do to weather the storm?  I'd love to hear other people's stories on this subject.

Have a great day!

RoW80 Round 4 Goals

Round 3... Check.
Round 4... Here we go again!

Now that I have successfully completed my first Round of Words in 80 Days, I'm looking forward to taking slightly larger steps into the world of writing during Round 4.  I'm going to be adding more areas to my life, and striving to make small progress as often as possible toward each of these goals each week, no matter how difficult life might be.

My writing goals for Round 3 were aggressive, asking myself to finish my first draft of my 2011 NaNo novel, which still had 60,000-70,000 words left to be written.  I'm now at just shy of 62,000 words out of an expected 110-120,000, so I still have much work left to complete this goal.

1. My goal, for this WIP, is to write another 20,000 words, reaching 82,000 (due 12/19).

I will also be participating in NaNoWriMo this November, with every intention of winning.  In order to do this, I need to complete the following goals:

2. My 2012 NaNo novel concept fleshed out (10/7).
3. Character sketches for main characters designed (10/14).
4. Outlines of first ten scenes written out (10/21).
5. Any additional preparation work for NaNo novel completed (10/28).
6. Write 50,000 words toward NaNo novel (11/30).

I also want to keep up with my blogging responsibilities, which I have really begun to enjoy (when I have the time!)  The last couple weeks of Round 3 I faltered a little, but I'm hoping to start strong in October, so I have a little more leeway in November, should I need the extra time for NaNoWriMo.

7. Write an average of 3 blog posts per week throughout the eleven and a half weeks of Round 4, for a total of 34 posts.

Reading is an area I'd really like to push forward on, as it's one of the few joys in my life, and it's such a shame that I do so little reading.  During Round 3, I managed to finish one book, and read the first third of a second book.  Here's my tentative goals in this area:

8. Pick three books to read after completing Battle Royale (10/7)
9. Finish reading Battle Royale (10/14)
10. Finish reading first chosen book (10/28)
11. Finish reading second chosen book (12/9)
12. Finish reading third chosen book (12/19)

My physical fitness needs some tuning up as well, so I'm going to focus more on this aspect of life more as well.  My week-to-week goals may vary based upon my schedule, but I'd like to make the following goals by the end of Round 4:

13. Reduce weight to 220 or lower.
14. Be able to run a 7-minute mile, and a 27-minute 5k.
15. Be able to complete 25 push-ups in 1 minute.
16. Be able to complete 45 sit-ups in 1 minute.
17. Be able to complete 1 pull-up.

Housework was a goal that I worked on in Round 3 as well, with mixed results.  My wife and I are on better terms on this, as I am making more of an effort, but I still need to try to pull more weight in this area to take some more pressure off my wife, especially since she's substitute teaching multiple days a week now.  Here's some goals I'd like to achieve:

18. Spend at least 8 hours total getting the yard and garage ready for the winter (10/31).
19. Take care of dirty (and clean if applicable) dishes at least four nights a week.
20. Make a family dinner once a week.
21. Run at least one load of laundry each week.
22. Help with bedtime for the girls at least three nights a week.

Now that I've expanded upon the categories from Round 3, I would like to add some additional goals to my list.  These rules may be subject to change as the round progresses, but these should suffice to begin the round:

23. Invite someone over for dinner once a week.
24. Contact my real estate agent to discuss starting the process of putting the house up for sale (10/15).
25. Pray every day, even if only for a minute.
26. Read an average of one chapter of the Bible per day, for 80 chapters total (12/19).

Also, my current day job position is becoming precarious, and while it wouldn't be the end of the world if I was fired, I'd feel much better about myself if I could keep it until my wife leaves for the Navy.  Here's a rough list of goals, and approximate due dates:

27. Revamp all site cleaning checklists to incorporate changes due to quality concerns (10/1).
28. Finish rough draft of 2013 annual plan goals (10/5).
29. Complete annual review of crew supervisor (10/8).
30. Complete third-quarter performance review of all employees (10/15).
31. Finish rough draft of 2013 budget (10/19).
32. Perform onsite quality audits of all external contracts monthly.
33. Perform onsite quality audit of corporate office weekly.
34. Finish all 15 store cleanliness audits (12/19).
35. Complete fourth-quarter performance review of all employees (12/19).

When I read through this list, it does look somewhat daunting, but it feels good detailing exactly what I want to do over the next three months.  Another author (whose name I simply cannot remember at the moment I'm writing this) has a motivational tool involving money.  She allots $7.50/week to go toward her goals.  The percentage of the $7.50 equal to her goals that she makes at least good progress on goes into a shopping fund, while the rest goes into a fund for the political party she doesn't like.  I'm not sure I'll be following this exact model, but something similar should work well for me.  (If I'm lucky, I'll have saved up enough money by Black Friday that I can buy myself something fun!)

If you somehow managed to make it all the way through this monstrous post, thanks!  I'd love to hear about your goals for the round as well, and if you'll be participating in NaNo this November, so we can friend each other!

Best wishes to all of you.

RoW - Round 3 Final Thoughts

When I started A Round of Words in 80 Days six weeks ago for the first time, I wasn't sure exactly what to expect.  Here we have a group of writers who...

• Seem to be unnaturally nice.
• Seem to actually care about each other.
• Are down to earth.
• Encourage each other's successes.
• Pick each other up after failures.
• Have immense knowledge of all aspects of the writing, revision, and publishing process.

Can it possibly be true that these writers are actually all these things?

Well, after six weeks, I'm come to the conclusion that... it's all true.

I've had an up and down half-round.  I've had weeks that were so productive that I was beaming as I wrote my blog posts.  I've had weeks that were so unproductive that I saw no point in updating at all.  Through all of it, all of my fellow RoW participants were there, commenting on every post, sharing in my good and bad moments.

So... before I go into all the end-of-round goals I didn't accomplish, I'd like to take a moment to thank every one of you who took a minute here or there to stop by and write a comment.  It's very validating to me to receive these comments, to know that you all are supporting me, someone you barely know.

I've spent many hours over the past six weeks doing the same with as many of you as possible, and I feel like I've begun developing friendships with you as well.  I am truly looking forward to Round 4, where I can take everything I've learned and grow from the experience.  I hope to see you all then!

Please feel free to comment about your round as well, either to share in your commiseration, or to shine in your success!

Here's my list of goals, and how I progressed:

ROW80 2012R3 - End-of-Round Goals

Writing - I will push toward having completed the first draft of my 2011 NaNo novel. This will be exceptionally difficult, as I believe I still have at least 50-70,000 words left to reach completion, but I feel this is necessary, as my desire is to start the second book in the series for the 2012 NaNo.  I managed to write about 12,000 words onto my 2011 NaNo novel.  I didn't come close to completing the novel, but I did make great progress in comparison to the past eight months since NaNo came to a close.

Blogging - I don't really have an end-of-round goal for blogging, but I would like to get to the point where I feel comfortable writing blog posts on a regular basis. Having a few followers would also be nice!  I have written fourteen blog posts since I started RoW in mid-August, which accounts for around two posts a week.  I feel like I have gained much insight in the blogosphere and how to connect with other bloggers around me.  I've also gained 5 followers, which was more than I was expecting, so thank you for the follow!

Exercise - While not excessively overweight, I weigh more than I am comfortable with, and my goal is to lose 5 pounds by the end of this round.  I did not do very well on this goal.  I did get some exercise in, but my eating habits caused me to gain a couple pounds instead of lose.  I'll be expanding on this goal for Round 4.

Housework - Talk about running a treadmill, housework will never cease, but I want to get to a point at my house that the house is at least free of clutter every night before I go to bed, and my wife is happy with the assistance I give the household.  I made some serious progress in this area, which makes me quite happy.  I've been helping more with various activities, from dishes and cleaning the kitchen to helping keep the kids' areas uncluttered.  I still have a long way to go on this goal, but the progress made was wonderful.

RoW80 Update -The Balloon is Squeezing Me

For those of you that read my RoW80 post last Wednesday, I was being overly ambitious by trying to cram an immense amount of things into my day each day.  This was partially because I believed I could handle the pressure, and partially because I was running through the manic end of my mood swings.  (My therapist says I only have issues with depression, that I'm not bipolar, but sometimes I'm not so sure.)

I received comments from multiple people stating that they themselves would not be able to handle this kind of level of multitasking.  What they didn't say was that I probably wouldn't be able to handle it either.  Of course, my commenters don't know me very well yet, so they couldn't know that for sure either way, right?

Well... if you were thinking that failure was imminent... you were right.

Failed might be a strong word, but I sure didn't pass all my goals with flying colors.  I'm actually not going to go into detail about the end-of-week goal progress, because very little happened on my goals the second half of the week.  Between work, and the pressures there, and a weekend packed with activities not conducive to getting anything accomplished, it was a dismal few days for my goals.  I went from trying to squeeze the balloon... to the balloon squeezing me!

So, what should I do?  I'm not sure, but here's what I'm going to do:

I'm going to forget last week existed.

I have to set some new goals for this week, but that will be difficult as well, as my wife leaves Wednesday morning for a weeklong vacation in California, leaving me with the kids by myself.  As hard as writing, reading, etc., was with my wife around, it'll be doubly difficult with her gone.  So, I'm going to take a light week this week, and just shoot for some simple goals.  Here's what I'm planning:

RoW80 Detailed Goal Progress

Writing - I will write something toward finishing my as yet untitled book from NaNo last year, even if only 50 words, every day.  This Week's Goal:  Get from 61,172 words to 63,500 words in my NaNo novel.

Reading - I will read at least 10 pages of a book each day.  This Week's Goal:  Read to page 175 of Battle Royale.

Blogging - I will write at least three blog posts each week, one of which must not be ROW80-related.  This Week's Goal:  Write my Wednesday RoW update, one miscellaneous post, and keep up with reading my subscribed blogs throughout the week.

Exercise - I will get "real" exercise for at least 30 minutes, three times a week. This Week's Goal:  Get out for at least one walk with my kids this week.

Housework - I will, in some small way, make my house look better each night than it did the previous night.  This Week's Goal:  Try to keep the house as clean as it is when my wife leaves for California, if not cleaner.

Book Review: The Power of Paradox

It's not often that I find occasion to read a book that, in all respects, appears to be a philosophical text.  However, I also don't pass up a book recommended by a friend, as "The Power of Paradox" had been, so I decided to give this book a try.

This book, written by a local retired pastor, W. Brewster Willcox, discusses in depth the idea that the Bible's stories are often full of paradoxical concepts which people outside of Christianity often use as proof that the Bible is either a collection of non-literal documents, or not inspired by God at all.

Willcox uses this book to help create an understanding that a paradox does not imply two things that cannot coexist, but instead two ideas that seem not to be able to coexist.  These seemingly conflicting ideas or circumstances are in fact quite compatible, but difficult to see because of our narrow viewpoint or understanding of the subject matter.

The central tenet behind Christianity as we understand it today is that Christ, the son of God, died through crucifixion and was resurrected three days later and ascended into heaven.  This, Willcox asserts, "is the ultimate paradox of life, of creation: sometimes when things look bad they're actually very good."

The way that Willcox goes about making his argument is quite unique.  His background in theoretical physics leads him to spend a great deal of time comparing the paradoxes of Christianity to the conflicts between various theories in physics, the greatest of these being the inability to reconcile the theories of general relativity and quantum physics. 

For those of you who have even a little background in physics, you are aware that, when taken to extremes of size, Einstein's theory of general relativity falls apart and quantum mechanics takes over, and vice versa.  The problem with this is that many of the consequences of each theory conflict with the other, leaving one of the greatest paradoxes of science.  How can we use experimentation to prove that both theories are correct, and yet yield conflicting conclusions about the universe around us?

I have bad news for you:  Willcox doesn't solve any of life's greatest mysteries in this book.  What he does do, however, is help the reader to open his mind to an understanding that conflicting ideas within the Bible are not mutually exclusive, and can actually work in tandem to create a deeper understanding of Christ's love for us.

Furthermore, Willcox has written a lengthy section on "muddling through," as he calls it.  The idea revolves around another paradox that affects not only churches, but all businesses and groups in today's increasingly connected society:  the more information you have to base a decision on, the more difficult it becomes to make the decision.

He goes on to discuss how, instead of bogging down with information overload, we muddle through with a less than accurate picture, and this process causes us to make smaller changes.  These smaller changes, in turn, build on each other over what can be a very short period of time to create huge positive change.  In fact, muddling through with small changes makes more of a positive effort in the long run, because with small changes, nothing can go drastically wrong.

Would I recommend this book to you?  That would depend upon you.  This book is not for those who are looking for a light read.  This book is also not for those who don't have a base understanding of physics, as many of the examples use physics stories to illustrate larger points.  However, I would recommend this book to anyone who truly questions the seeming contradictions in the Bible, and sees them as sticking points to growing in her religion.  Despite its difficulty, I gained a great deal of insight from this book, and believe you could do the same.

Wednesday RoW80 Update - Squeezing the Balloon

About two months ago I was seated in my boss's office at Goodwill, where I work.  Financially, things had been going poorly for the past two months, and some evidence of quality issues were starting to pop up as well.

My boss asked me if I still wanted to work at Goodwill, to which I responded that I did, of course.  He asked why I wasn't fixing some of these problems, which had a tendency to keep popping up now and then.  At first I had difficulty determining how to describe the feelings I was dealing with in relation to the department and its host of problems.

Then I thought of a balloon.  It was a nearly perfect analogy, in my opinion, to trying to squeeze a balloon down to a smaller size.  The goal is to reduce problems in all areas of the department.  However, whenever I would focus on one problem, essentially squeezing that part of the balloon, another problem would pop up somewhere else.  It's no wonder people swing so hard on the Whack-a-Mole game... never knowing which part will pop up next is incredibly frustrating.

Getting back to RoW80, I find a similar type of frustration in putting enough focus on each area of my life to meet all my goals.  Trying to balance work, a wife, kids, and various scheduled events with writing, reading, blogging, exercise and housework has been a fascinating challenge for me.

Please don't get me wrong... I love every minute of it.  I'd had an unusual drive the past three days, a drive to succeed at everything.  I'm running myself ragged, scheduling every minute of my day, from the moment I wake up to the moment I fall asleep.  I'm getting exhausted, but it's not really slowing me down.  Not yet, at least.

I've been quite productive so far this week, if you don't count Sunday.  Sunday was my trip to the Detroit Tigers game, and was worth every minute of wasted time.  Monday I hung around the house while my wife took the kids to her family's Labor Day cookout, and I got a load of writing, housework and blogging completed.  I'm still trying to catch up on reading all of your blogs, but I'll get there... I think.

I can't wait to see what the rest of this week will bring.  Tell me your successes, and let us cheer each other on to victory!

RoW80 Detailed Goal Progress

Writing - I will write something toward finishing my as yet untitled book from NaNo last year, even if only 50 words, every day.  Write at least five days, and shoot for a wordcount goal of 65,000 - cutting down the overwhelming goal of last week.
9/2/12 - No writing accomplished.
9/3/12 - Wrote approximately 1600 words.
9/4/12 - Wrote approximately 1000 words.
9/5/12 - Wrote approximately 150 words (so far).

Reading - I will read at least 10 pages of a book each day.  Next Week's Goal: Read at least five days, and get to page 120 of Battle Royale.
9/2/12 - No reading done.
9/3/12 - Read 11 pages to page 40.
9/4/12 - Read 1 page to page 41 - sad, I know.

Blogging - I will write at least three blog posts each week, one of which must not be ROW80-related.  Next Week's Goal: Write my two RoW80 post, my book review of "The Power of Paradox", and one other post.
9/2/12 - No posts.
9/3/12 - Wrote Sunday's RoW update post.
9/4/12 - No posts.
9/5/12 - Wrote Wednesday's RoW update post.

Exercise - I will get "real" exercise for at least 30 minutes, three times a week. Get at least three prayer walks, and one aerobic exercise routine.
9/2/12 - Got about half an hour of walking during the hike between the parking lot and the baseball stadium.  Not sure how much it counts as exercise, though, as I was walking with a group of slow-pokes.  :)
9/3/12 - No exercise.
9/4/12 - No exercise.

Housework - I will, in some small way, make my house look better each night than it did the previous night.  Keep up with dishes as best as possible, work on reorganizing entertainment center area in basement, and organize garage.
9/2/12 - No housework completed.
9/3/12 - Did about two hours' worth of solid housework, taking care of dishes, moving dirty laundry to the laundry room, and picking up after my wife and kids (and myself a little bit, too.)
9/4/12 - Emptied the dishwasher, reloaded and ran another load of dishes, picked up all the DVD cases and loose disks on the entertainment center, reorganized and put them all away.

RoW Sunday Update on Monday

Just when a tough week was looking bad on Wednesday, the rest of the week happened.  To explain some of my mental state, I have difficulties staying on task when I get some bumps in the road.  Work through me some major bumps this last week.

My job, at a local Goodwill Corporate Headquarters, involves running a Janitorial contracts division and coordinating all of our environmental, "going green" efforts as an agency.  In the two and a half years I've been with Goodwill, our janitorial division has been struggling, and I've been unable to really get any traction to move forward.

This last week, I took a serious blow by learning that my star contract acquisition, which I picked up in January, is dropping us for quality concerns.  This is the first contract we've lost since before I started with Goodwill for quality reasons.  This has really made me feel like a failure.

This feeling has left me a little (okay, a lot) unfocused.  I didn't really accomplish anything on any of my goals since Wednesday or so.  This further deepens the feelings I have, and puts me in a downward spiral.

Yesterday, though, I had the opportunity to turn things around, emotionally.  I was one of six guys, between my family and my in-laws, who went to the Detroit Tigers game last night.  The game was incredible, and for those of you who follow baseball at all, their win, and sweep of the White Sox, brought Detroit into a tie in the division.

As we were driving home last night in the middle of the night, I thought long and hard about what today (Monday) would be like.  I decided I needed a bounceback day, and bounce back I have, but today's progress falls under next week's updates, so you'll have to wait to hear about it.

So, long story short... I had a rough week, but I'm very hopeful that I will be turning things around in the coming week.  Here's my day by day statistics.  Let me know how you did this week, or how you're doing in the new week!

RoW80 Detailed Goal Progress

Writing - I will write something toward finishing my as yet untitled book from NaNo last year, even if only 50 words, every day.  By the end of Saturday, I want my novel to be at a minimum of 68,000 words, from a starting number of 56,636 words.  I also want my novel outlined through at least 35 scenes, from a current progress of 29 scenes outlined.
8/26/12 - Wrote 381 words, to a total of 57,017 words written.  No scene outlines added.
8/27/12 - Wrote 745 words, to a total of 57,762 words written.  No scene outlines added.
8/28/12 - No writing done.
8/29/12 - No writing done yet.
8/30/12 - No writing done.
8/31/12 - No writing done.
9/1/12 - Wrote 183 words, for a final total of 57,945 - nowhere near my total wordcount goal.  No new scenes outlines this week either.
Next week's goal: Write at least five days, and shoot for a wordcount goal of 65,000 - cutting down the overwhelming goal of last week.

Reading - I will read at least 10 pages of a book each day.  By the end of Saturday, I want to have finished "The Power of Paradox" and read at least 100 pages of "Battle Royale" by Koushun Takami.
8/26/12 - Read 11 pages of "The Power of Paradox", on page 56 of 79.
8/27/12 - Read the rest of "The Power of Paradox".
8/28/12 - No reading done.
8/29/12 - Read to page 29 of "Battle Royale".
8/30/12 - No reading done.
8/31/12 - No reading done.
9/1/12 - No reading done.  I did finish "The Power of Paradox", but didn't make 100 pages of "Battle Royale".
Next Week's Goal: Read at least five days, and get to page 120 of Battle Royale.

Blogging - I will write at least three blog posts each week, one of which must not be ROW80-related.  By the end of Saturday, I want to have written my Sunday and Wednesday RoW80 updates, a book review of "The Power of Paradox," and one other miscellaneous post.
8/26/12 - Wrote Weekly Check-In for RoW80 (technically on 8/25, but just before midnight 8/26)
8/27/12 - No progress.
8/28/12 - No progress.
8/29/12 - Wrote RoW80 Wednesday Update.
8/30/12 - Wrote miscellaneous post "A Walk in The Woods".
8/31/12 - No progress.
9/1/12 - No progress.  Wrote my two RoW80 posts and one miscellaneous post, but wasn't able to complete my book review post.  Not too bad.
Next Week's Goal:  Write my two RoW80 post, my book review of "The Power of Paradox", and one other post.

Exercise - I will get "real" exercise for at least 30 minutes, three times a week. As part of a regular exercise routine, I want to get a mix of "prayer walks", which are rapid walks combined with extended prayer time, and running or other aerobic exercise.  I'd like to see at least 3 prayer walks and one aerobic activity by Saturday.
8/26/12 - Went for 30 minute prayer walk.
8/27/12 - Went for 32 minute prayer walk.
8/28/12 - Went for 35 minute walk in Muskegon Community College's nature trail.
8/29/12 - No progress yet.
8/30/12 - No progress.
8/31/12 - No progress.
9/1/12 - No progress.  I got in my three walks, only two of which were prayer walks, and no real aerobic activity.  Not bad, but could be better.
Next Week's Goal: Get at least three prayer walks, and one aerobic exercise routine.

Housework - I will, in some small way, make my house look better each night than it did the previous night.  By Saturday, I'd like to have caught up on all the laundry in the house, and picked up the messy basement area.
8/26/12 - Gathered up some dirty dishes, loaded and ran the dishwasher.  Picked up / cleaned the living room.
8/27/12 - Cleaned up the kitchen after dinner, ran two loads of laundry through the washer and dryer.  Helped the girls pick up their rooms.
8/28/12 - Cleaned up half the basement.
8/29/12 - No progress yet.
8/30/12 - No progress.
8/31/12 - No progress.
9/1/12 - No progress.  Despite not making any progress the last four days, the two goals were accomplished.  All the laundry is caught up (thanks to my wife for helping with this), and I picked up the basement.
Next Week's Goal: Keep up with dishes as best as possible, work on reorganizing entertainment center area in basement, and organize garage.

A Walk in the Woods

It's not that often when I get a stretch of time when I have the opportunity to just do whatever it is I want to do.  I'm typically either rushing through my hectic schedule, or filling the gaps between with important tasks... like writing.

Yesterday afternoon, I got the pleasure of taking an hour between the end of my workday and the start of a three-hour training session for Toastmasters.  I first contemplated a nap, but decided that a walk would be nice.  I was right near the Muskegon Community College campus, and decided to talk a walk through the Casey Hartz Natural Area's wooded trail, one of my few refuges during college where I could go for inspiration when I was working on my creative writing projects.

All these years, later, not much had changed.  As I started my trek through the woods, I immediately felt compelled to take photos of this journey.  I have attached a few of them here for an idea of the serenity of the walk.

As I walked these familiar trails, I began to feel at peace with myself again, almost at once.  It was as if a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders.  To hear the subtle sounds of the forest - the leaves whispering in the trees, chipmunks scattering away from my quiet footsteps, the calm of the slowly flowing stream - filled my heart with joy.

The further I walked downward from the trail's entrance, the more I connected emotionally.  There were both highs and lows.  Off in the distance to the west, where once there were rolling hills, now I could see road construction.  Otherwise, though, I saw only what nature allowed me to see.  I could see the effects of time on my sacred woods.

Once new wooden walkways and benches were now weathered and sagging in places.  Numerous new carvings from college students in love adorned my favorite place to sit.  At first I was bothered by the graffiti, but I realized that it, too, was a part of nature's influence on the area...  human nature.

It's often so easy to forget that we are still part of the equation of the world we live in.  We try to separate ourselves from this idea, make ourselves seem above it somehow, but in these moments along this trail, I come to realize that I am as much a part of nature as the trees, the animals, or the clouds in the sky.

I saw some wondrous feats of nature while venturing among these woods for some 35 minutes.  I saw several fallen trees that were not there the last time I walked these trails.  The path of the stream even looked to have changed slightly in one area because of a fallen tree trunk.

There was a subtle change to the area.  Someone less observant may not have picked up on these changes, but I was attuned to every minutia of my surroundings.  I might, however, compare the feeling to that of a relative who sees a young child once a year, or even less often.  For the parents of the child, the changes in growth happen so gradually that it is almost too difficult too notice. Yet the distant relative sees great change between visits, change that those of us too close don't often notice until it's too late.

I often marvel at the tenacity of nature to thrive in difficult conditions.  I almost missed this tree on my first walkthrough.  If you look closely at this picture, you can see the tree was bent, or more likely broken, and the main trunk is now resting upon the ground.  However, this tree found a way to survive this trauma, and a strong shoot has sprung out like a branch, and turned into a new tree trunk, growing straight and true once again.

It is these moments where I find my true inspiration for my writing.  Roaming into the (more or less) untamed land around us, I can see objects and events in a different light.  This type of pure inspirational motivation isn't available to me that often, so I cherish each of these moments dearly.

To my fellow writers:  Where do you find your moments of inspiration?  Do you wander away from civilization, or dive into the depths of human interaction?  Let me know!

If you would be interested in seeing all of the photos I took during this excursion, let me know and I'll give you the link.  Have a great week!

RoW80 and Life - Midweek Update

I came into this week expecting to fly through my goals and accomplish them all.  To help me set my sights a little better, I included an end-of-week goal for each area.  Halfway through the week, and I'm almost positive I'm not going to reach my writing goal for this week, which was, to be fair, incredibly ambitious.  Otherwise, I'm on par to meet or exceed all my other goals, which is great!

I made the mistake of not planning for life.  Yesterday, I was busy with work and training from 6:30 AM to 9:00 PM, and couldn't meet my writing goal at all.  I now have four days left in this week to pull off over 10,000 words.  It could be done, but I'm not counting on it.

I bought the book "Battle Royale" several years ago, and when I was looking for my next book to read after "The Power of Paradox", I couldn't find Eragon, which was my first choice.  This one stood out on my bookshelf, and when I read the back cover, it portrays a very similar idea to that of Hunger Games, with the premise of a class full of junior high students, 42 in all, left on an island, with only the final survivor being allowed to leave.

I'll let you all know about the story as it progresses, but it should be a fun compare-and-contrast review when I'm done.

Everyone else on RoW80 - enjoy the rest of your week, and I'll see you on Sunday!  Below is the detailed breakdown of my goal progressions.

RoW80 Detailed Goal Progress

Writing - I will write something toward finishing my as yet untitled book from NaNo last year, even if only 50 words, every day.  By the end of Saturday, I want my novel to be at a minimum of 68,000 words, from a starting number of 56,636 words.  I also want my novel outlined through at least 35 scenes, from a current progress of 29 scenes outlined.
8/26/12 - Wrote 381 words, to a total of 57,017 words written.  No scene outlines added.
8/27/12 - Wrote 745 words, to a total of 57,762 words written.  No scene outlines added.
8/28/12 - No writing done.
8/29/12 - No writing done yet.

Reading - I will read at least 10 pages of a book each day.  By the end of Saturday, I want to have finished "The Power of Paradox" and read at least 100 pages of "Battle Royale" by Koushun Takami.
8/26/12 - Read 11 pages of "The Power of Paradox", on page 56 of 79.
8/27/12 - Read the rest of "The Power of Paradox".
8/28/12 - No reading done.
8/29/12 - Read to page 29 of "Battle Royale".

Blogging - I will write at least three blog posts each week, one of which must not be ROW80-related.  By the end of Saturday, I want to have written my Sunday and Wednesday RoW80 updates, a book review of "The Power of Paradox," and one other miscellaneous post.
8/26/12 - Wrote Weekly Check-In for RoW80 (technically on 8/25, but just before midnight 8/26)
8/27/12 - No progress.
8/28/12 - No progress.
8/29/12 - Wrote RoW80 Wednesday Update.

Exercise - I will get "real" exercise for at least 30 minutes, three times a week. As part of a regular exercise routine, I want to get a mix of "prayer walks", which are rapid walks combined with extended prayer time, and running or other aerobic exercise.  I'd like to see at least 3 prayer walks and one aerobic activity by Saturday.
8/26/12 - Went for 30 minute prayer walk.
8/27/12 - Went for 32 minute prayer walk.
8/28/12 - Went for 35 minute walk in Muskegon Community College's nature trail.
8/29/12 - No progress yet.

Housework - I will, in some small way, make my house look better each night than it did the previous night.  By Saturday, I'd like to have caught up on all the laundry in the house, and picked up the messy basement area.
8/26/12 - Gathered up some dirty dishes, loaded and ran the dishwasher.  Picked up / cleaned the living room.
8/27/12 - Cleaned up the kitchen after dinner, ran two loads of laundry through the washer and dryer.  Helped the girls pick up their rooms.
8/28/12 - Cleaned up half the basement.
8/29/12 - No progress yet.

RoW Update 8/26 - Loving Every Minute

I've now completed what was my first full week of RoW80, and I can say that my success was mixed, but overall, quite positive.

I started out setting goals that were ambitious, especially for my writing.  I asked myself to go from zero writing on my novel in 6 months to writing every day.  I asked myself to go from not having written any blog posts in 18 months, and only 2 posts ever, to writing at least 3 posts a week.  I asked myself to go from getting the occasional incidental exercise to getting deliberate exercise 3 times a week.  I asked myself to go from not really helping around the house to doing something to help every single day.

Have I made all of these goals this week?  Absolutely not!  Have I done more than I would have prior to RoW80?  You're darn right I have!

I just love the ability to say that I've written over 3000 words on my novel this week.  I can say I've been reading a philosophical book that I wouldn't normally force myself to pick up.  I've been trying to make my wife's life just a little bit easier by doing small things around the house.  I feel as good about myself as I have in a long time.

I just want to say thank you to Kait who has put together this challenge for all of us.  You've done me a great service by putting this idea forward of working toward continual achievement of goals in writing, and of life in general.

I don't know what the new week will hold, but I'm certainly excited to get into it, and find out!  Good luck to all of my fellow RoW80 participants this week!

RoW80 Detailed Goal Progress

Writing - I will write something toward finishing my as yet untitled book from NaNo last year, even if only 50 words, every day.
8/19/12 - None.
8/20/12 - While I did not get any actual words written in my novel, I was able to create a detailed outline of an additional 5 scenes, enough to keep me writing for a couple weeks, I think.
8/21/12 - None.
8/22/12 - None.
8/23/12 - Wrote 1893 words.
8/24/12 - None.
8/25/12 - Wrote 1255 words.

Reading - I will read at least 10 pages of a book each day.
8/19/12 - No books read, but I spent much time reading blog posts... that counts for something, right? :)
8/20/12 - I read 10 pages of "The Power of Paradox".
8/21/12 - I read 12 pages of "The Power of Paradox".
8/22/12 - I read 15 pages of "The Power of Paradox".
8/23/12 - I read 10 pages of "The Power of Paradox".
8/24/12 - None.
8/25/12 - None.

Blogging - I will write at least three blog posts each week, one of which must not be ROW80-related.
8/19/12 - Wrote Weekly Check-In for RoW80
8/20/12 - None.
8/21/12 - None.
8/22/12 - Wrote Mid-Week Check-In for RoW80
8/23/12 - Wrote Post on Learning about Creating and Improving a Blog
8/24/12 - None.
8/25/12 - Wrote Brief Post on NaNoWriMo looking for beta testers for 2012 website.

Exercise - I will get "real" exercise for at least 30 minutes, three times a week.
8/19/12 - My older daughter got to try riding her bike without training wheels for the first time, so I spent quite a bit of energy running alongside her. Not 30 minutes in total, but some aerobic exercise nonetheless.
8/20/12 - No exercise.
8/21/12 - I spent two hours of the afternoon playing laser tag with our high school youth group. If that doesn't count as exercise, I don't know what does!
8/22/12 - Between walking the mall for over half an hour, and carrying all our attic storage down to our basement over about 20 minutes, I definitely got my exercise today.
8/23/12 - No exercise.
8/24/12 - No exercise.
8/25/12 - No exercise.

Housework - I will, in some small way, make my house look better each night than it did the previous night.
8/19/12 - Picked up most of the disaster in our living room from the kids' playtime. They are like a tornado! Cleaned up some "debris" in our basement's finished area, and helped move some furniture for my wife.
8/20/12 - Cleaned up a little bit in the basement.
8/21/12 - Put some dirty clothes in the laundry room.
8/22/12 - Finished picking up all items in our upstairs bedroom and moving our bins in our attic to the basement to facilitate some construction/repair.
8/23/12 - None.
8/24/12 - None.
8/25/12 - None.

NaNoWriMo Website Beta Testing

Good morning, all my fellow writing-based bloggers!  I wanted to take a quick minute to post that NaNoWriMo is currently starting the beta-testing process for their 2012 website.  If you have previously participated in NaNo, and are interested, login to the NaNo site, and sign up!

A Newbie's Adventures in Blogging

In January of 2011, I suddenly became inspired by the idea of getting my ideas out to the masses, spreading my "wisdom" as far as I could to whomever would choose to read it, and so I started a blog.


Picture Courtesy of Word OfMedia on Pinterest.com

Two posts and no reads later, I decided that blogging was a royal time waster if no one would ever read what I'd written.  To quote a blogging poster, "Never before have so many people with so little to say said so much to so few."

Now, eighteen months later, I discover A Round of Words in 80 Days, a site where fellow writers can blog as a group about our efforts toward developing our writing careers.  As I began reading the posts of fellow RoW80 participants, I knew that I had to participate, and revived this blog like a new seed sprouting from the ashes of an ancient incinerated tree.

As I started looking around the blogosphere, I started to realize exactly how plain and boring my blog was.  I looked at the list of widgets built into Blogger, and was thoroughly dissatisfied.  It wasn't that they didn't have the types of widgets I needed, but they lacked the pizazz I was looking for.

For those of you who have been blogging for several years, this is probably a moot issue.  I've seen many polished blogs, and changes are quite possibly a thing of the past.  For me, trying to get my blog to a level that I enjoyed the look, I had to dig through the internet for help.

One site I found was Spice Up Your Blog, a blog that offers regular tips and insights into blogging, including html code for some custom modifications.  For instance, those of you with a WordPress blog get the advantage of having your links for next/previous posts show the name of the post, where Blogger does not do that.  This post has code to make Blogger do the same thing.

I also found a site called Shareaholic that has animated button templates for allowing readers to share my posts through a number of outlets.  A link to them, in case you're interested, can be found here.

Finally, I saw some blogs had a widget for following the writer on a variety of different social media sites.  I searched far and wide for code for a widget I would like, but none exactly met my needs.  I ended up taking the code from this blog and then modifying the code to add additional social sites, eliminate the text-based email button, and replace it with a stylish email button with the same feel as the social site buttons.  If you are interested in the final code for this widget, after my modifications, let me know.

I should say that I don't have any experience with html code prior to this modification.  One of my goals as I continue to develop and streamline my blog is to learn the basics of html code so I can, at least, feel confident in modifying code to my needs.

So, after all this, my question to you is this:  What part of your blog are you the most proud of?  Are you willing to share your source code for your favorite widgets?  Feel free to comment at length, as I am looking for all the creative input I can receive as I continue to develop my product.

RoW80 Update - The Balancing Act

Have you always wondered how that one person you know manages to balance a full-time job, raising two kids, keeping a house clean, managing their writing career, keeping in shape, and the numerous other things they seem to keep up with?

I do too.

I knew this wouldn't be a walk in the park, but I guess I wasn't prepared for how difficult some of the decisions I would have to make were going to be.

There are days where, as I approach the evening, I feel exhausted, and I know that I still have my daily writing, reading, exercise, and housework to do, and as I look at the clock, I start negotiating with myself to figure out which items I can accomplish that day before I pass out, and which tasks will just have to wait another day.

I tend to be one of those people that, when I start feeling overwhelmed by a situation, tries to avoid the situation altogether.  This way of living is in stark contrast to RoW80, and I'm coming to terms with this as I push past my first week of the challenge.

My progress on my novel was minimal over the past few days, but I did manage to extend my detailed outline through about the 60-65% mark in the novel, giving me about two weeks or breathing room in writing before I run out of outlined material.  I've started reading a difficult book, The Power of Paradox, a Christian philosophical text.  I've done well on exercise, and my housework efforts have been okay, but I still feel like I'm falling short.

I really appreciate all the kind and encouraging comments over the past week, and I will continue using them to push forward.

Good luck for all my fellow RoW80 participants the rest of the week!

RoW80 Detailed Goal Progress

Writing - I will write something toward finishing my as yet untitled book from NaNo last year, even if only 50 words, every day.
     8/19/12 - None.
     8/20/12 - While I did not get any actual words written in my novel, I was able to create a detailed outline of an additional 5 scenes, enough to keep me writing for a couple weeks, I think.
     8/21/12 - None.

Reading - I will read at least 10 pages of a book each day.
     8/19/12 - No books read, but I spent much time reading blog posts... that counts for something, right?  :)
     8/20/12 - I read 10 pages of "The Power of Paradox".
     8/21/12 - I read 12 pages of "The Power of Paradox".

Blogging - I will write at least three blog posts each week, one of which must not be ROW80-related.
     8/19/12 - Wrote Weekly Check-In for RoW80
     8/20/12 - None.
     8/21/12 - None.

Exercise - I will get "real" exercise for at least 30 minutes, three times a week.
     8/19/12 - My older daughter got to try riding her bike without training wheels for the first time, so I spent quite a bit of energy running alongside her.  Not 30 minutes in total, but some aerobic exercise nonetheless.
     8/20/12 - No exercise.
     8/21/12 - I spent two hours of the afternoon playing laser tag with our high school youth group.  If that doesn't count as exercise, I don't know what does!

Housework - I will, in some small way, make my house look better each night than it did the previous night.
     8/19/12 - Picked up most of the disaster in our living room from the kids' playtime.  They are like a tornado!  Cleaned up some "debris" in our basement's finished area, and helped move some furniture for my wife.
     8/20/12 - Cleaned up a little bit in the basement.
     8/21/12 - Put some dirty clothes in the laundry room.

ROW80 - Ahead Full Steam

I'm not even sure where to start with this post, as I've written and deleted this first sentence at least four times, so I'm just going to dive in.

It's only been four days since I started diving into A Round of Words in 80 Days, but I can already say that this has been a breath of fresh air for me.  Having a community of bloggers working together toward similar goals has really motivated me to start working toward these goals.  I can't say that this first half-week has been a rousing success, but I've made more progress in my novel these past few days than I have in the past few months.

When I last stopped writing Mage Rising (my novel's working title), I left off in the middle of a scene.  I'm not sure the reason, but I prefer to call them scenes, rather than chapters.  One of the reasons I was concerned about starting back on this project was the fear that I wouldn't be able to remember exactly where I was going with the scene.  Even more so, I was worried that I wouldn't have the same voice that I had over six months ago.

While I can't say that my writing voice sounded precisely the same, I had no problems taking off with the story again.  In fact, I was able to immediately create some items within the story that hinted at things to come in the overarching plotline, which made me quite happy.

My biggest concern for my novel at this point is that, while I have a vague idea where the greater plot will go, I don't have a feel for individual scenes yet.  I have outlined two scenes beyond the one I'm currently writing, but haven't found the specific path through the proverbial forest to the finish line yet.  This will be one of the goals for the coming week for my writing.

Even my non-writing goals have somewhat progressed.  I've spent more time than usual doing housework (although my wife would still prefer more), and I got out once to exercise strictly for the sake of fitness, which rarely happens for me.

I'm also going to add a new goal section for reading, as many of my fellow ROW80 members have.  While I love reading, I don't take the time to do it as often as I would like, so having a goal out there should help me take the time to do what I love!

I'm excited to see what the coming week will bring, so stay tuned.  Below is my detailed list of accomplishments from Wednesday, as well as a recap of my goals for the end of round three, as I'm changing one and adding a new category.

Good luck over the coming week to all my fellow ROW80 participants!

ROW80 2012R3 - Daily Goals

Writing - I will write something toward finishing my as yet untitled book from NaNo last year, even if only 50 words, every day.
     8/16/12 - Wrote 2269 words toward WIP novel.
     8/17/12 - Wrote 1168 words toward WIP novel.
     8/18/12 - Didn't get any writing accomplished today.

Blogging - I will write at least three blog posts each week, one of which must not be ROW80-related.
     8/15/12 - Wrote Initial ROW80 Blog Post
     8/17/12 - Wrote Non-ROW80 Blog Post

Exercise - I will get "real" exercise for at least 30 minutes, three times a week.
     8/16/12 - Ran/Walked for about 30 minutes.
     8/17/12 - Spent about 3 hours helping my brother-in-law build a 10' by 10' shed.  I'd say that counts as exercise.
     8/18/12 - Spent another 3 hours finishing my brother-in-law's shed.  Man, my arms are sore from all the nails.  :)

Housework - I will, in some small way, make my house look better each night than it did the previous night.
     8/16/12 - Helped get dirty dishes caught up, including gathering many of them from around the house where they had been left, and put one load of clean dishes away.
     8/17/12 - No real progress, but I was only home for about an hour (aside from sleeping time), and I spent this time writing.
     8/18/12 - Kind of another failed day, as the only help I really gave was moving furniture while my wife was cleaning carpets with the machine she rented.  Oh, and I cleaned the bathroom sink, which was starting to build up with dried toothpaste from my kids' toothbrushing.

ROW80 2012R3 - End-of-Round Goals

Writing - I will push toward having completed the first draft of my 2011 NaNo novel.  This will be exceptionally difficult, as I believe I still have at least 50-70,000 words left to reach completion, but I feel this is necessary, as my desire is to start the second book in the series for the 2012 NaNo.

Reading - I will shoot for a goal of having finished at least three or four books before the end of the round. (Added 8/19)

Blogging - I don't really have an end-of-round goal for blogging, but I would like to get to the point where I feel comfortable writing blog posts on a regular basis.  Having a few followers would also be nice!  Added 8/19:  Write book reviews of any books finished during the round.

Exercise - While not excessively overweight, I weigh more than I am comfortable with, and my goal is to lose 5 pounds by the end of this round.

Housework - Talk about running a treadmill, housework will never cease, but I want to get to a point at my house that the house is at least free of clutter every night before I go to bed, and my wife is happy with the assistance I give the household.

The Writer's Bane

I found myself sitting in my office at work yesterday afternoon, trying to find anything to keep me occupied so I could continue to avoid a bid that a potential customer was waiting on.  I had no particular reason not to want to finish this bid.  Technically speaking, the work was simple.  Yet there was this part of me, deep down, that wanted to avoid this project like the plague.  Procrastination held a firm grip over me.

Have you ever been there, as a writer?

On November 29th, 2011, I validated my NaNoWriMo manuscript at 50,059 words.  I was sitting at Barnes and Noble that evening, and I wanted nothing more than to jump up in the middle of the coffee shop and scream at the top of my lungs, "I did it!"  However, I reined myself in, afraid of being banned from one of my favorite writing locales.

The feeling of success, sheer elation, washed over me.  I told myself I'd spend the next two days on a short hiatus, picking up where I'd left off on December 1st.  My best friend, and one of my biggest advocates as a writer, even offered an incentive to complete the book before his wedding on December 30th.

I didn't touch the book again until late June, and didn't actually add any writing to it until yesterday.

I wanted more than anything to pick up the book and write.  I had such a desire to reconnect with my characters that, at times, it felt nearly paralyzing as I wasted my time doing anything else but write.  Deep down, there was something stopping me, the same thing that stopped me for the past nine years since I graduated from college.  I'm still not sure that I can define what that something was, and still is, but the closest thing I can equate it to was...

Fear.

Was I feeling fear of failure?  Or was I feeling fear of success?

I think the biggest obstacle to this process for me is the fear of change.  If my writing was horrible, I would quickly realize that the dream of becoming a professional writer was just that... a dream.  On the other hand, if my writing was very good, it might mean that I could become successful, and my life would change.  I've been happy in my small city with my wife and two kids, living a relatively routine life.  All of that would change if I became successful.

It's taken many months of reflection (and counseling) to come to terms with the simple fact that I can't live in a bubble, that I must not be afraid of change, but learn to embrace it, and deal with the consequences of that change as they arise.  I'm not even close to getting there, but I'm taking tiny steps in that direction.

How do you deal with the fear of failure, the fear of success?  What drives you to the keyboard (or pen and paper), instead of away from it?  I'd love to hear your own stories about this internal struggle.

A Round of Words in 80 Days

As an aspiring novelist, you may be looking for the proper motivation to do what many state to be the hardest part of writing - applying the butt to the chair.  Life has many devious ways of pulling us from those things we enjoy the most, and instead dragging us through the dredgery of routines, schedules and the mundane.

I have searched far and wide for unique groups or programs that help writers to cut through the sludge and get back to focusing on our craft, at least as time allows.  Last November, I successfully completed my first NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month.  This event helped me to plunge deeper into my first novel's rough draft than I had ever previously been able to go, writing just over the required 50,000 words.

Unfortunately, as December rolled in, life took back over and my grandiose desires to finish my book in the next two or three months fell by the wayside.  I've fought hard with every desire to get back to writing this book, but have had zero success until this point.

Now I've found "A Round of Words in 80 Days."

For those of you unfamiliar with A Round of Words in 80 Days, or ROW80, at it's commonly abbreviated, this initiative is designed to help writers find ways to accomplish writing goals without sacrificing the requirements of life, as NaNoWriMo almost forces you to do.  You set your own goals, and change them as needed as life intervenes.

I have found, in my own life, just setting goals helps me to achieve them.  I'm more aware of what challenges lay before me, and can better manage my time to accomplish them.  I am excited to add myself to ROW80, and begin to refocus my goals toward actual completion.

Without further ado, here are my list of goals for the remainder of the 2012 Round 3 of ROW80:

ROW80 2012R3 - Daily Goals

Writing - I will write something toward finishing my as yet untitled book from NaNo last year, even if only 50 words, every day.

Blogging - I will write at least three blog posts each week, one of which must not be ROW80-related.

Exercise - I will get "real" exercise for at least 30 minutes, three times a week.

Housework - I will, in some small way, make my house look better each night than it did the previous night.

ROW80 2012R3 - End-of-Round Goals

Writing - I will push toward having completed the first draft of my 2011 NaNo novel.  This will be exceptionally difficult, as I believe I still have at least 50-70,000 words left to reach completion, but I feel this is necessary, as my desire is to start the second book in the series for the 2012 NaNo.

Blogging - I don't really have an end-of-round goal for blogging, but I would like to get to the point where I feel comfortable writing blog posts on a regular basis.  Having a few followers would also be nice!

Exercise - While not excessively overweight, I weigh more than I am comfortable with, and my goal is to lose 5 pounds by the end of this round.

Housework - Talk about running a treadmill, housework will never cease, but I want to get to a point at my house that the house is at least free of clutter every night before I go to bed, and my wife is happy with the assistance I give the household.


I firmly believe that ROW80 will be a strong asset in my life, allowing me to prioritize those things that are most important to me as a novelist in training.  Thanks for all your support in this new endeavor, and feel free to comment with your own experiences as you started ROW80.