Actually did it this time. Not just in my little head, but on paper. It’s scary, I know, but I forced myself… to write down goals with a formulated plan to reach them. How many nerds can say they do that for a passion that has no monetary or physical reward in sight?
The goals are SMART-Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Time Bound. Mostly focused on self-improvement and commitment, they will be measured by monthly achievements to become more active in my hobby of writing poetry and blogging through the fall/winter/spring months.
I’m mixing a dash of work personality with my hobby to see if there’s a difference this year in my participation and skill development. Sounds like too much corporate lingo for a casual blog! But it just… might.. work. Feel free to take on this challenge with any of your own hobbies and we can test it together!
This year is a new decade, a new set of personal struggles, changes throughout the world, and a chance to become more passionate about my little hobbies. So I’ve written down a few aspirations to motivate myself back into action and written reminders on my personal calendar for the next few months:
- I am going to be more active in the community by participating in writing workshops, open mics, writing critique groups: 2 events per month
- I am going to recommit to my own blog, which never seems to last past more than a couple months of regular posting and explore other blogs to learn and enjoy them: 1 blog post per week
- I am restarting the #HaikuChallenge I was doing last year to write a haiku nearly daily to develop my skill of imagery and concise writing: 3 Haiku per week
Please – hold me accountable. But also, consider taking a chance to see if truly setting goals and making a plan can improve how you feel about your hobby or more fully enjoy the time you spend developing it.
Back Row Thoughts ~Clarice von Chimo 