Spring Writers' Symposium and Writing Contest

The Third Annual ICAN Spring Writers’ Symposium and WritingContest will be held in Parma, Idaho on March 17, 2018. The event promises to be packed with information and interaction for beginning and established writers seeking to improve their writing and marketing skills. A networking luncheon will give attendees the opportunity to interact with fellow writers and presenters.

Presenters include ICAN members, Phyllis Vavold Nettleton, JoEllen Claypool, Sheila Eismann, and Carol Green. Guest speaker to be announced! Come prepared to engage in a writing activity to practice what you have learned! Specific topic titles will be announced before the end of January 2018!

The day caps off with an awards ceremony for winners of the writing contest. The writing contest is optional (not required for attendees), but we encourage participation as it is an opportunity to hone your writing skills. The  contest submission deadline is February 24, 2018.

Idaho Creative Authors Network assists new authors in publishing and marketing their work. This blog post from Elaine Oostra, an attendee at our first event, relates how ICAN has helped her publish two books.

If you are an aspiring author or just need to make more connections with local authors, register today for the ICAN Spring Writers’ Symposium and Writing Contest.

REGISTER HERE

We look forward to getting to know you better and helping you reach your writing goals!

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Running Granny Green encourages women, especially grandmothers, to gain greater fitness by providing tips and inspiration to insure long years of joyful grand-parenting. The cookie recipes are a bonus!

Happy Running!

- Carol aka Running Granny Green

Follow me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram!

SMART Goal Setting for the New Year

Here we go again making New Year’s Resolutions and getting ready to break them! Why is it so easy to identify a need for change, yet so difficult to master the change? Could it be because the method we use to achieve the goal is not SMART? I’m guilty. Sometimes I wish for a change and employ no method at all, thus setting myself up for failure. That’s why I’m sharing this blog post, not so much for all of you, but to help me commit to setting SMART goals that employ effective methods to attain them.

What is a SMART goal?

A SMART goal is specific.

A SMART goal is measurable.

A SMART goal is achievable or attainable.

A SMART goal is realistic or reachable.

Finally, a SMART goal is timely or time bound. It has an end.

“I’m going to lose weight,” is not a SMART goal.

 “I’m going to lose 5 pounds,” is specific and measurable.

“I’m going to lose 5 pounds in two months,” is specific, measurable, achievable, and time bound.

“I’m going to lose 5 pounds in two months by tracking my calories daily,” is also realistic. It provides a specific goal that can be measured for progress, it can be done, it has an end, and it includes a plan, or HOW, for success.

Here is another example:

“I’m going to write a book this year.”

What is wrong with this goal? A year ought to be enough time to write a book, unless you don’t begin, or stay on task, or know what book you are going to write, etc.

Here is a much better example. You might call it SMART.

“I’m going to write a 200-page book about gardening in 2018 by generating 1500 new words per week. I will re-write the previous week’s word count weekly. I will use the final 3 months of the year for editing, proofing, and cover design.”

Can you see how the latter description might lead to greater success than the first? It’s absolutely attainable, and may even be accomplished more quickly than the timeline requires. And that’s okay! It’s specific including what I want to accomplish and how and when I plan to complete the task. It is measurable on a weekly basis, so I will know if I am ahead of or behind schedule. Because it is measurable, it can easily be broken down into daily goals or expanded to monthly goals.

There! I’ve just defined two SMART goals for you for the New Year! (I’m not really writing a book on gardening, so you can take that goal and run with it if you would like!)

Remember: Specific. Measurable. Attainable. Realistic. Timely.

What is your SMART goal for 2018? I'd love to hear about it in the comments below.

Running Granny Green encourages women, especially grandmothers, to gain greater fitness by providing tips and inspiration to insure long years of joyful grand-parenting. The cookie recipes are a bonus!

Happy Running!

- Carol aka Running Granny Green

Follow me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram!