I did it. I jumped in and there’s no stopping me now.
ROW80 is MINE!

Well, okay maybe that was a little much but I just can’t help myself. This is the first time I’ve ever joined in a challenge like this and I’m totally excited.  ROW80, or a Round of Words in 80 days, is a writing challenge that encourages you to set attainable and measurable writing goals. And the best part is that it is full of writers just like me who cheer and support you along the way. Totally cool.

The first round starts today with a list of my goals.  Since I’m a newbie at this and I don’t want to overwhelm myself, I figured I’d take Kait Nolan’s advice and do a test mile for Round 1. So here it goes:

Goals for Round 1:
1. Write a minimum of 350 words everyday.
2. Finish outline for Retribution (halfway through!)
3. Write second and third chapters of rough draft. (I’ve already written the first chapter.)
4. Post at least one blog a week on my site.
5. Visit and comment on 3 blogs a day.
6. Spend up to two hours per day on social media (Facebook, twitter). This is a huge distraction for me so I have to limit my time before I become a social media junkie.
7. Help promote at least 2 different writers on social media sites a day.
8. Read one book a week.
9. Walk at least a half mile three times a week.
10. Acknowledge at least one thing in my life every day that I am grateful for or that makes me happy.

That last one sounds like it doesn’t really belong in this particular list but its important for me in helping to deal with my depression and keeping away the negativity. And it rounded up the list on a warm fuzzy feeling which is always nice to share.

My aim is to kick these goals in the butt and step it up for Round 2. I’m sure I’ll get some cheering from Myndi Shafer, Karen McFarland, Fabio Bueno, and the rest of my new friends who have also joined the ROW80 challenge. Wish us luck!