I’m a little slow getting up to full speed this year owing to a record-setting three-week Christmas holiday. It was fun! I spent most of my time hanging out with my family but I did set some goals for 2012 and these will help me filter my activity through the lens of success. As new opportunities crop up, I will be asking myself if they will bring me closer to what I want in my life or farther away.

What’s coming up? Here are some of the highlights:

1. Conversion. I have a basic understanding of how to write conversion copy but I’ve decided to take my skills up a few notches this year and I’ve set a goal to take 40 hours of training in the area. This isn’t as onerous as it sounds – that’s an average of just over three hours a month and I’m sure I can find a way to fit that in.
2. Fiction writing. I am primarily a corporate communications copywriter and I love the work I do for my corporate clients. At the same time, a wayward corner of my imagination wants to play with fiction. I was thrilled with the publication of my novel at the end of last year and this year I’m going to focus more on short story writing. My first short story last year was selected as one of 12 semi-finalists for the prestigious John Kenneth Galbraith Literary Award. This year, with a goal of entering four short story contests, I will need to write four short stories. Deadlines motivate me!
3. Product development. Many successful entrepreneurs are offering information products for sale online. I’m not entirely sure how that all works yet but one of my goals is to develop at least one information product to offer either through my website.
4. And speaking of websites…It’s time to renovate mine again! My business has changed since my current site went up and over the coming months I am going to put some thought into how I can better express what I offer clients.
5. Keep smelling those roses! It’s easy to lose sight of enjoyment when you’re racing around making a living and it can be tough to fit fun into a world that’s crammed with obligations. I’ve come to realize, though, that I make my best contributions at work and at home when I’m happy and this year I’m going to make a conscious effort to have even more fun than last year. Can’t wait!

And how about you? What are your writing and business goals for this year? If you’d like to share, please leave a comment below!

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