Goals for the New Year: 2015 Edition

Ahh, a new year is upon us. With that comes new goals. I know some people don't like resolutions or goals, but I do. I look forward to the 'fresh start' each January brings. I love being vocal about my goals so that others can encourage me and hold me accountable. I also just love having things to work toward.

Without further adieu, here are my blogs for 2015 in six different categories of my life.

• Double my blog readership.
• Publish 3+ posts per week.
• Get connected in more blogging communities.

• Add two new prints each week to my shop.
• Create three new products for my shop.
• Reach 1,000 sales in my shop.

• Read 30 books.
• Work my way through my 'Dear America' books from the beginning (more than 30 - may not make it all the way through in one year).
• Continue reviewing books.

• Edit my 2014 NaNoWriMo novel.
• e-Publish my novel. 
• Publish a piece of writing - anywhere.

• Work out 3+ times each week.
• Take a class at the gym each week.
• Run a half marathon (no full this year).
• Drink 8+ cups of water per day.
• Focus on making healthier choices each day.

• Create an organizational system for all areas of my life.
• Work through daily devotionals. 
• Add 4+ new recipes to our cookbook each month.

There you have it - my goals for 2015. I hope this year is as amazing as 2014 was. I have a lot to look forward to and a lot to work toward! 

• What do you think of my goals? 
• Do you have any new goals for 2015?

5 Essentials for Productivity

November has been so hectic for me. I'm participating in NaNoWriMo, trying to keep up with orders in my ever-growing Etsy shop, and also keeping on top of blogging. Oh, and did I mention that I'm hosting my first Thanksgiving dinner next week when my family comes in town? Yeah... November has been crazy. 

Because of that, I am here today to share my five essentials of productivity. I love hearing what other people to to stay focused on the task at hand, so I thought I'd share a little of my wisdom... or at least what works for me! 

5 ESSENTIALS FOR PRODUCTIVITY

1. CAFFEINE. This one is self explanatory. If I don't have my coffee, I'm not productive. It's as simple as that. I like coffee in all ways, as long as it's not decaf. I usually drink it black, but I am a sucker for espresso and fancy drinks from coffee shops as well. I usually have two cups a day. I know coffee (or even caffeine in general) is not for everyone, but I would be totally unproductive without it. 

2. GET ORGANIZED. This one sounds simple, but there are several things I do to achieve this. First, I make sure my work space is clear. If I have stuff all over the place, I'm more likely to get distracted. Then, I make a to-do list (every morning) with everything I need to get done that day - in no particular order. Finally, I make a schedule. To do this, I write out the specific times I want to be done with certain tasks. I give myself adequate time to finish each thing, making sure that I accomplish all of the items that need to be done. 

3. CREATE GOALS. This one I stole from four years of teaching and setting goals. We always had to make SMART goals, and that's what I try to apply to everything I do, whether it's writing, my work in my Etsy shop, or anything else that needs to be done. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Time-bound. So instead of saying "I want to sell 30 items in my shop", I would say, "By the end of November 2014, I will sell 30 sets of magnets as measured by my online shop."

4. ACTIVE BREAKS. Yes, I said breaks. In order to STAY productive, I have to stop what I'm doing every once in a while and take breaks. Instead of just sitting at my computer, though, I like to do something active. I'm not talking about exercising - that would be TOO long of a break. I mean walking around the house picking up a few things along the way or loading / unloading the dishwasher. Whatever you can do to get away from the task and do something without thinking too much should work. 

5. SET TIMERS. Some people say they need to leave their phones in another room so they don't check Instagram or Facebook while working, but I use my iPhone to my advantage. I set timers whenever I start working, and I don't allow myself to stop for any reason (barring emergency) until that timer goes off. Sometimes, I set it for only 15 minutes. Sometimes, it's an hour. I decide based on how much I need to accomplish at the time.

I recently got my caffeine fix at Starbucks when they were running a buy one get one free holiday drink promotion! Don't worry - I did share a little bit with my husband! 

• What do you do to stay focused?
• Has your November been as busy as mine?