Tackle Your 2016 Goals Like a Boss

Happy 2016! I know it's been 5 days, but I'm really excited about another new beginning. Today I'm posting some of my favorite apps and tools that might help you stay on track with your resolutions! 

There's an app/tool for that if your resolution is to...

...accomplish a longterm goal despite your busy schedule

Our very own Karen has created the amazing Dreams by Design Planner, available on her website. There's a video that explains this in more detail, but it includes so many ways to break down your goals, track your tasks, and get work done! You know how much I love planners, and I'm totally geeking out right now!

...write all the words

My friend Christen posted about this website called myWriteClub the other day, and I clicked over immediately. I think it's in beta, but the features sound amazing! You can track your word count, set goals, and make your progress a social thing for accountability. I plan to try it out when I start my next book, but I'm also a big fan of the tracking feature on Scrivener and creating spreadsheets I can access from anywhere.

...save money and stick within a budget

There are so many apps and budgeting softwares available, but this is the one I'm going to try -- Dave Ramsey's app. Since I have my own business, it's important to be cognizant of how our money is spent! If I don't like this one, Mint is next up.

...be more intentional about devotional time

I've fallen in love with the Bible app and She Reads Truth, two excellent resources for devotional time. But the selling point on this Proverbs 31 Ministries-sponsored app, First 5, is the alarm clock feature. I can set it every morning or certain time of day, and it will open the app to prompt me to do my daily reading. Love that!

...get a better handle on each day

I am obsessed with this Daily Notepad from Kristin Schmucker. It's gorgeous and definitely helps me stay centered throughout my day, though most of the time, one sheet will last me a few days. There are sections for Verse of the Day, Prayer Requests, Gratitude, various Notes, and a huge space for your to-do list. It definitely makes even the busiest days feel more doable.

...have less stress in your life

Part stress relief, part resource for more Bible meditation, spending time with Live Loved, Margaret Feinberg's coloring book for grown-ups is probably a better way to unwind and take some time for yourself than, say, an eleven-hour Netflix binge. (Not judging those, either, but you know!)

{I'm giving away a copy of the bottom two (Daily Notepad + coloring book) and assorted goodies to one of my newsletter subscribers this month. Enter your email address below if you want to win!} 

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What are you most looking forward to in 2016? What are the tools you swear by to reach your goals?

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Laurie Tomlinson is a wife and mom from Tulsa, Oklahoma, who is passionate about intentional living, all things color-coded, and stories of grace in the beautiful mess. Previously a full-time book publicist, she owns a freelance copywriting, editing, and PR consulting business called 1624 Communications. 

She's a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, a two-time Genesis Award winner, and the runner-up in the 2015 Lone Star Contest's Inspirational category. Her work is represented by Rachel Kent of Books & Such Literary.

You can connect with Laurie here:

Facebook - AuthorLaurieTomlinson

Twitter - @LaurieTomlinson

Web - www.LaurieTomlinson.com

Own Your Writing Life in 2015

Do you have writing goals for 2015?

I've been reading Own Your Life by Sally Clarkson. This inspirational book is about being intentional about all of your life.

As part of the launch, many readers created posters. These posters say:

I will own my life in 2015 by...

My question is are you owning your writing life?

Or is it owning you? Have your rejection letters driven you to despair? Do you find yourself thinking if only I could...get published? Find an agent? Win a contest?

What if only's are under your control? Is this the year you need to finish the manuscript that's been languishing in a drawer? Is there anything you haven't done because you're afraid of failure? Or maybe afraid of success?

Is this the year you need to try a new genre? Make the commitment to wake up early to write? Or take time during your lunch breaks?

How can you be more intentional about your writing life in 2015?

1) Spend time writing your goals down.

Author, speaker, and power blogger Michael Hyatt found those that write down their goals are more likely to attain them.

2) Start backwards.

What are your long-term goals?

What would you like to see in your writing life in five years? One year?

For instance my goal for 2015 is to finish a nonfiction book. I realize many of you might take much less than a year to accomplish this goal, many write a book as quickly as one to three months. BUT its all about making your goals attainable. YET you still want a goal that will be challenging to reach.

What goal would be stretching for you, yet still manageable?

3) What do you need to increase to get to your goal, and how will you get there?

What is it you think you are lacking that is holding you back and how can you change that for 2015?

One example is I've found I need to get more sleep in order to be creative, at least 7-8 hours. I also need to increase quiet. I have trouble meeting my goals during my lunch break with my children milling about. Going to a coffeeshop to write a few times a week increases my word count.

What place, time, conditions will ease meeting your goal?

4) What do you need to decrease to get to your goal, and how will you get there?

What are you spending too much time or energy on that may be hindering your writing life?

For me the biggest hindrance to my writing life is my own insecurity. I need to believe that God designed me to write and has a purpose for my writing. Then I need to meditate on the truths about Him and who I am in Him daily and know that I don't need to measure up to some standard for God to use my writing. He can use imperfect me, even when I have a lot of growing to do.

Other hindrances can be the way we are using our time. The computer itself is probably my biggest distraction and I find that even using it too often in my non-writing times cuts into my life creativity. I need to be intentional about shutting off in a world that is constantly connected.

4) Do you have a ritual you can connect with your writing life?

For me it is motivating to have a small ritual I associate with my writing times. Do you have a favorite pen or beverage? Can you use these small things to help you stay motivated?

5) Give yourself a reading goal related to your writing goal.

What you read can strengthen what you write, so plan accordingly. Since I am writing nonfiction right now, my goal is to finish a nonfiction book every two weeks. Read writers you want to write like. Read writers you believe you'll never write like. And make time for reading every day, even if its only five minutes. My favorite time to read is before bed. I always set aside at least fifteen minutes. As I come to inhabit the stories, my imagination flows anew and it sharpens my own writing life.

6) Review your progress regularly and then adjust.

Daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, set aside time to check where you are in regards to making your goals. Be flexible, yet push yourself. If you're not reaching your goal, what is standing in your way? Is it a change in attitude that needs to happen ? A change in the way you're spending your time?



What changes do you need to make to OWN your writing life in 2015? By the way, if you are looking for a book on being more intentional with your life, I highly recommend Sally Clarkson's Own Your Life.

Julia enjoys writing women's fiction whenever she can find a chair free of smushed peanut butter sandwiches and lego blocks. She is a wife and homeschooling mama of two littles. She also enjoys writing for Library Journal magazine and the blog Wonderfully Woven.