Weekly Goals

Last week was yet another one where the weather and sickness caused disruptions. It has happened so often lately that I really should have learned to expect it. Still, I am hoping this will be a more "normal" week, where I can focus on working more regularly towards my long-term writing and health-related goals. Plus, maybe catching up a bit on work and con preparation stuff.

Core Goals

Write, edit, or outline every day (including the weekend): My regular top-priority, the most important weekly goal, which should help me reach my long-term goals of improving both my consistency, productivity, and writing quality.

Get exercise: Another regular goal, one of my two big non-writing goals, which help me improve my overall physical health. The aim is to do 2-3 proper exercise sessions a week and do some light exercise the other days.

Eat healthier: The other physical health goal. I need to avoid snacking entirely in the weekdays, and I need to keep the snacking to a minimum during the weekend and generally avoid overeating

Read with intention: This a new goal for the year, and again one that should help me keep focus on my long-term writing goals. It’s a vague goal, but the intention is to make sure I learn something from whatever I’m writing. I need to take notes on stories, and I need to stay focus on the reading.

Focus while writing: Likewise, a new goal and a vague goal. And again, it’s meant to keep me focused on my long-term writing goals. The goal is to be aware when my attention starts to slip when writing and correct it. This can be as simple as forcing my attention back to the writing, taking breaks, or start using “tools” like the pomodorro technique or turning of the internet.

Do Codex reviews: It’s the penultimate week of the Codex competition, and there should be another batch of stories for me to read and critique.

Catch up at work: I did well last week, but there’s still a bit of catching up to do, procedures to draft, protocols to review, etc.

Do a WYRM review: I really, really have to complete at least one WYRM review soon. I have barely managed any in 2026.


Stretch Goals

Do oral exercises: Another regular goal carried over from last year, though not one I generally need to focus on a lot. I should do my oral exercises, on average, once a day.

Do writing exercises : Another small goal to help me focus on improving the quality of my writing. I should do at least one writing exercise a week.

Read short stories: A regular goal from last year. I want to read/listen to at least 3 published short stories.

Read “new” magazines: And yet another regular goal. To make sure I read more broadly, I should read/listen to at least one short story published somewhere else than the three magazines I read/listen to the most (Podcastle, Clarkesworld, and Flash Fiction Online).

Read/listen to non-fiction:This goal is meant to help do light research and get information from the real world. Ideally, this should lead me to produce more original story ideas than the ideas I derive from already published stories. I need to read/listen to podcast/chapters about at least 3 different non-fiction subjects. Ideally, they will also be different sources, different podcasts/books.

Submit short stories: If I have any stories/poems rejected or any new material ready, I need to send it out for submission.

Do Fantasticon work: It’s not realistic that I should be able to complete anything this week, but I have some SoMe post for the con which I want to get started on.