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2021/2022 Goals

So, because I have done this for a long time now, I want to do it again now that I am reinstating my personal blog. Do what, you ask?

Draw up a new list of goals. This used to be an annual “rite” for me, but it wasn’t a religious thing. It was a goal thing I did in place of what most like to call New Year’s Resolutions. I don’t do resolutions. I do goals. And while this post is tentatively titled “2021/2022 Goals,” it is largely about 2021, although I know that most of these will bleed over into 2022. It is what it is.

Here are the goals—

  • Find a Job — As I am out of work, I am in desperate need of an income. I am looking for telecom work as much as I am looking for retail work. A job is a job and an income is an income. I am also seeking to start an online business.
  • 2021 – Write 35,000 Words — It has been a long time since I wrote any fiction, largely because of having to take care of my mum full-time because of her dementia. It is time I get back to it. As it is now near the end of November 2021, I clearly cannot get as much done as I would like, but this is a good and reasonable goal for the remainder of the year. (This assumes a minimum of 1k wds/day, 6 days/wk.)
  • 2022 – Write 295,000–442,500 Words — My standard fare for many years has been 312,000–313,000 wds/yr. This was based on 1,000 wds/day, 6 days/wk, 52 wks/yr (with each year having 312–313 working days in it, depending on how many Sundays there were). I have decided to change things up this time. I want to aim for 1,000–1,500 wds/day, 6 days/wk, 49 wks/yr. That means three weeks of vacation per year, as is typical for many. If I hit a consistent 1,000 wds/day, 6 days/wk, for those 49 weeks, that will amount to 295,000 words for the year. If I hit a consistent 1,500 wds/day, it will amount to 442,500 words for the year. If I average 1,250 wds/day, then we’re talking 368,750 words for the year. In practical terms — not counting editing, obviously — that much writing amounts to this number of first drafts—
    • 3 novels/yr @ ~90k/novel, plus
    •  ~4–29 short stories/yr @ ~6k/story (~16 short stories if I average 1.25k/day)
  • Read 20 Books/10 Pamphlets/25 Short Stories — I’ve already got a start on this, but I am far, far, far from being remotely close to where I want to be. By pamphlets I mean the short ebooks (~50 pages or so), typically in PDF format, that I often download for free from sites like Reedsy. These reading goals are for 2021 not 2022. My progress so far is as follows—
    • 10 novels/anthologies (read: 1)
    • 10 nonfiction (read: 5)
    • 10 pamphlets (read: 1)
    • 25 short stories (read: 0)
  • Buy a Manual Typewriter — I have had this goal for many years, but still haven’t followed through with it. Shame on me! I learned to type on a typewriter and while I am sure it would take getting used to again, I would love to buy a replacement for the old Olivetti-Underwood Studio 44 I learned on and actually do some writing on it. The model I like best is the Corona Sterling/Silent of the 1940s, which I can buy for $950 in excellent condition at mytypewriter.com. There was a time when I could have bought one of these for about $600.
  • Buy a Metal Cabinet for 4 x 6 Index Cards — This has been a goal for a while now, too. They don’t have any currently available, but I have seen these for sale on Amazon (MMF Card Cabinet – 14.4" x 16" x 6.2" – Steel – 2 Drawer(s) – Black). This is a classic index card cabinet, like my father used to have.
  • Buy an Office Chair — Most office chairs are hell on my back, which is why I want to buy myself a Herman-Miller Aeron Chair.
  • Buy a Folding Bicycle — I’ve wanted one of these for a while, too. If I choose to avoid installing a roof rack on my car, then a folding bike would be best. I like the Dahon MU D11.
So, that is my list. I fully expect most of it — the job search, the 2022 word goal, the typewriter, index card cabinet, office chair, and folding bicycle — to roll over to next year. I do want to push to accomplish my 2021 writing and reading goals, however. There’s no reason why I shouldn’t be able to.

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