I’m always reading about ways to improve my writing, my work schedule, and my productivity. One of the suggestions I’ve heard multiple times is to be more specific with the goals you set by pairing action steps with them. I decided to give this a try in 2016 by setting three to five achievable goals each quarter of the year.

Here is a sampling of how things have gone so far:

Improve my writing skills

• I registered for three Writing Aerobics classes in the spring and took a class on “Storybooking for Writers”.
• I signed up for the Education Writers Association National Seminar in Boston in May.

Experiment with some different types of writing

• I attended a panel presentation at Cornell University, “Shop Talk with Nicole Cliffe and Mallory Ortberg of The Toast, Rachel Fershleiser of Tumblr, and Lucie Shelly of Electric Literature’s Recommended Reading” where I was able to hear some very intelligent (and funny!) women talk about how the Internet has changed what we read and how we read it.
• I participated in an “Oral Histories” workshop at The History Center of Tompkins County

Revamp my website and update my social media profiles

• With the expert help of Howell, Liberatore, & Associates, Inc. (https://hlamarketing.com/) I was able to completely redesign my seven-year old website, giving it a more contemporary look and making it more mobile-friendly (SueHenninger.com)
• I have started updating my social media profiles but am not done quite yet. It’s amazing how many things have to be adjusted when your website changes.

Become a published author

• So far the college transfer book I’m co-authoring is on schedule. I had four trusted readers review a few chapters in March and incorporated their very helpful suggestions. And-I completed my final interview on 3/31!

Continue to write for regional and national publications

• This goal is moving on to the spring quarter as I plan to actively reach out to regional and national publications now that my book is in its final stages. Any and all offers are welcome!

On a lighter note, another path to professional improvement that I discovered (thank you Dr. Travis Bradberry) is to drink a glass of water infused with a freshly-squeezed lemon immediately upon waking. It does seem to give me more energy. And it sure beats jogging or a cold shower!