january goals + my new job

last week, I started a new job: writer and blogger.

I hear you asking yourself, wait, wasn’t she doing that before? yes I was [and I have been taking it seriously!] but now I've decided to make it officially official. now I have a work schedule - one that I’m forcing myself to keep to. even though last week was a holiday week, I wrote. even though on Friday morning I woke up feeling like I had gotten a collective 15 minutes of sleep and all I wanted to do was stay in bed, I wrote. even though I missed a Passionfruit chat and the season 4 Downton Abbey debut today, I wrote. I have a schedule and I’ve been sticking to it.

my January is all about and getting things done. and we're leaving for Bali in 2 weeks! which means there's a lot to accomplish before I go. to help keep me on track, I'm setting a few goals for the month:

1. book-specific writing sessions 3-4 times a week: I feel like I'm just starting, but already I want to get ahead. I haven't decided yet if I'm going to try book writing while on vacation. I don't want to lose the habit, but I don't want to drag my laptop with me. [or waste precious beach time.]

2. wrap up sponsor business: this is my first month of hosting sponsorships and I'm still learning, but I want my sponsors to feel taken care of. my first full-post sponsor feature will run this week! I'm both nervous and terribly excited to share these lovely ladies with you. and my new sponsors will be starting right when I'm flying out- I want to be sure to welcome them and set things up before I go.

3. schedule at least 3 posts for when I’ll be gone: yes, I'm going on vacation, but I don't want to disappear completely! there are a few things I've been meaning to share that may never be posted if they don't get in before all the travel this year. I have a lot of half-written ideas brewing... I just need to round them out and get them scheduled.

4. remember to take care of myself: the last thing I want to do is be sick for vacation. with everything else going on I want to be sure I'm eating right, getting exercise, and sleeping well. Husband and I have been carrying on the weekend tradition of running the mountain + sushi lunches, and I'm making a date with Jillian Michaels a few times a week.

5. get packed for our trip ahead of time: have we discussed how I'm a terrible packer? I'm hoping to be packed [as much as I can] in advance so that I can relax and actually sleep the night before our flight. I've already started a list, and I'm thinking of throwing together a post because that would mean I have to do it in advance. right?

that's a lot for the next two weeks, but I'm hoping I can stay on track... you all might have to remind me from time to time! what are your goals for this month?

[linking up with Melyssa for weekly wishes]