SoATW Friday: Winding Down, Ramping Up

Wow! Can you believe we only have a week left in our Summer of All The Words? Our last Twitter meetup will be this Thursday, August 29th; our last posting will be Friday the 30th. As Clara mentioned last week, we've gotten some requests to continue #SoATW, and we're looking for ways to do that while adjusting to the demands of the school year. If you've got ideas, let us know -- this has become such a great community, and we'd love to keep it going.

Today, I want to talk about the week we have left, and how to make the most of it, so you can start the year feeling good about the progress you've made and ready to tackle a new goal.

Think about the plans you had for this summer: in writing and in the rest of your life. Did you meet them?

My goals shifted considerably: a change in deadline for Dissonance 2 meant that I could focus solely on the revisions for Dissonance, and as we've discussed (and with a ton of support from my friends and family) I made my deadline. What I didn't do enough of was have fun with my family. We did better than last year, but I would have liked to make more good memories, especially considering that our summer ended with my aunt's funeral -- a woman my kids loved dearly.

Now, think about the week (and two weekends) you have left. If you've made your goal, how can you set yourself up for success in the coming months? If you didn't make your goal, what can you realistically accomplish?

In my writing, I have a few lingering projects -- a few guest blogs, a synopsis I've been avoiding for months...and a whole lot of office-cleaning. I'm planning to knock those out next week, and make a massive trip to Goodwill. On the family front, we're going to pack as much fun into the next two weekends as possible -- including trips to see family, eating a lot of frozen yogurt, and watching the original Star Wars trilogy. No Jar Jar Binks for my children! I'm also going to spend some time compiling the checklists and tools that keep our house running semi-smoothly during the year.

I think the key here, whether you've met your goals or not, is that you should wrap up the summer with a sense of accomplishment. You want to finish something tangible, whether it's a draft, a chapter, a synopsis, a query, a proposal, your research...whatever it is, the boost you'll get from meeting even a small goal will give you the momentum you need to continue . So choose something that's attainable -- and will prepare you for the next stage of your journey.

Lastly, think about what's next, and set some goals (and rewards).

My next big writing goal is to finish this draft of Dissonance 2. I DO have a reward in mind, but I have to keep it under my hat for now. I'll let you know when I can tell you about it. My family goals are to help my kids get off to the strongest possible start to the year, and make sure we're scheduling time for fun -- something we often forget to do. I've got plenty of techniques for the former, and I'm happy to share them in another post, if you're interested. Our reward is a less-stressed out family and more fun times (which is pretty self-evident).

I've already told you my goals for our final week above -- so instead, I'll close with a thank you. Your kind words and sympathy last week meant more than I can say. Our little community has become very dear to me, and I am grateful for each and every one of you. I can't wait to see what amazing things you do next.

As always, you can head over to Clara's blog for her Friday post. And I'll see you Sunday night for our final, awesome week!