Today is Milestone Friday at Life List Club. It’s sort of a quarterly birthday party. We all blog today about our progress on our goals. Each of The Life List Club writers has a gift for one or more subscribers/commenters on today’s post. Click on other names in my Life List Club Blogroll in the right column to read their blogs see details on how many winners they will choose and what their prizes are.
I will draw the name of one commenter to receive an autographed copy of my short story “Bubba’s First Cruise” and one subscriber other than the first winner to receive an offer to swap guest blogs.
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As a new member, I wasn’t sure what the club expected in the way of goals. Other members may have goals more specifically directed toward writing, but here are mine.
1. Exhibit Jesus to others
2. Be a better husband
3. Let people see joy in me
4. Help others achieve their goals
5. Write interesting tweets and blogs
6. Finish novel and get it published
7. Spend more time with kids and grandkids
8. Share the method of Warrior Writers Boot Camp
9. Expand Twitter following
10. Expand blog readership
It’s difficult to measure progress toward meeting subjective goals. If I say my goal is to sell 1000 widgets, and I sell 700, compared with only 500 in the preceding period, I can quantify my progress. Not so with some of the goals I set for myself, but I’ll endeavor to give the most accurate appraisal of my progress I can.
How do I measure progress on the goal of exhibiting Jesus to others? I can’t say for sure, but I did have an encouraging experience a few days ago. A waitress came over to a buddy and me and said, “You guys are Christians, aren’t you?” She then began to talk about something she wouldn’t have shared if we weren’t. Something must have given her the idea we were.
You’d have to ask my wife whether or not I’m a better husband. I suspect there has been no noticeable change in the brief time I’ve been in LLC. Same with letting people see joy in me.
Hopefully my Monday blogs on Warrior Writers Boot Camp methods fulfill both number 4 and number 8.
Write interesting tweets and blogs? I tweet a lot more than I used to. I hope most of them are interesting. My guest blog on Jess Witkins’s site last Friday drew a good readership with many encouraging comments, so some people must have found it interesting.
Don’t know about finishing the novel and getting it published. Right now I seem to be bogged down in redoing character profiles and plot outlines. Hopefully I’ll get into writing it before too long.
Spending more time with the kids and grandkids probably shouldn’t have been listed among the goals. It’s really more of a dream, since I’m pretty much at the mercy of their schedules and also limited by geography.
Ah, finally some measurable goals. I started paying regular attention to Twitter in the spring. Since then I’ve gone from a handful of followers to around 2,200, with a Klout rating of 52.
Don’t know what to say about blog readership. There seems to be little progress there, but Kristen Lamb says I’m about the same place she was when she’d only been blogging for a few months, and she now has 20,000 hits a month.
Since I’ve started having guest bloggers on most Fridays, my hits for those days have increased somewhat. Stats show 86 hits for Catie Rhodes’s “Mamaw’s Cornbread.” Jenny Hansen’s “Dreams, the Fear Factor” has received 68 hits. My own best has been 49 hits for “They Also Serve,” one of my Warrior Writer blogs. Jess Witkins told me my guest blog “Breaking a Taboo” got 101 hits. Guess a lot of her regulars read it.
As a part of Milestone Friday, we’re all giving gifts to readers. I’m giving two gifts. I’ll draw a name from among those commenting on this blog and send that person a signed copy of my short story, “Bubba’s First Cruise.” I’ll also draw a name from among my subscribers, excluding the first winner, and offer that winner the opportunity to trade guest blogs.
A graduate of Duke University, I spent 42 years as a health insurance agent. Most of my career was spent in Texas, but for a few years I traveled many other states. I started writing about 20 years ago, and have six unpublished novels to use as primers on how NOT to write fiction. Since my retirement from insurance a few years ago, I have devoted my time to helping Kristen Lamb start Warrior Writers’ Boot Camp and trying to learn to write a successful novel myself.
David N Walker 
One of your best blogs. What a great way to talk about goal achievements.
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Thanks, Max. It’s a good group to be a part of.
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I have been directed to this blog through another member of the club and I’m glad to become a follower. I am a Christian too so it’s always helpful and encouraging to read about other people’s journeys.
I hope I win your prize because I’d love to read your book.
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Thanks for stopping by and commenting, Katie. You’ll definitely be in the drawing, but it’s a short story, not a book.
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I love the idea of these goals and go you for working so hard to achieve them. It’s good for us to have to think out of ourselves. And it seems fitting that you’re all celebrating by giving to others. That’s beautiful.
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Thanks for the encouragement, Donna.
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Hey Bro, You have gone way past me in the techie knowledge area. Your explanation of your twitter accomplishments leaves me way back at the twitter starting line … though I haven’t even tried to catch on to it in a couple of years. I am so happy at the work and commitment you are putting in to your writing.
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Thanks for the kudos, Sis. Next time you’re here, remind me to show you Tweetdeck – or just download it and play with it. It makes sense out of Twitter. Without it, I wouldn’t use Twitter at all.
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really great goals. I too want to exhibit Jesus and show joy, and they are very hard to measure. I love what you’re doing here. 🙂
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Thanks, Ellie. I admire your writing and appreciate any nice words from you.
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Congrats on meeting your goals!! I know that you’ve personally helped me a ton with the Writer Warrior Boot camp. I know it’s going to make me a better writer!
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Thanks, Jill. That goes both ways.
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David,
I think this “just keep swimming” approach is going to pay off big for you. Especially because you’re pushing forward in your goals in a very community focused way. I appreciate you and your support tremendously. I’m delighted to see that your readership is growing and your goals are being met.
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Thanks, Jenny. You’re one of the ones I hold up as a standard for blogging.
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Pingback: Celebrating Life’s Milestone’s – Life List Club Style | Jenny Hansen's Blog
I agree with everyone, David, but most with Pam. Your goals are wonderfully other-centered, but as you say, what goes around often comes around. It took me a few decades to realize that!
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Thanks for your comment, Elizabeth. Kind words are always appreciated.
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I’m David’s wife Sharon, using my husband’s computer as I usually do in preference to my own so I can look out a window and spy on the neighbors. I would say my husband has been more patient,considerate, and helpful lately, although he’s always been a good husband overall. Didn’t know this was one of his goals! I’ve thought he was a talented writer ever since I’ve known him. One of his goals should be to be more committed, more dedicated to his writing. I truly feel he’s working on achieving this, and his published novel will be evidence of this. Sharon K. Walker
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Awwwww, that is so sweet! What a nice wife you have, David. 🙂
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Congrats! Sometimes we have to readjust our goal or even totally rethink them. I’m definitely learning that writing a novel takes a lot more time than I originally though.
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Thanks, Sonia. Right with both statements.
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Pingback: It’s a (Milestone) Party!!! | Sonia G Medeiros
Sounds like you’re starting out better than most of us! So glad to have you part of the ‘gang’
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Thanks, Jennie. Glad to be a part of it.
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I think, for being part of LLC for just a couple of weeks, you have actually accomplished a lot, David! You’ve assessed your original goals, you’ve been guest posting with us and you’re working on the others. Great job! We are so happy to have you with us!
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Thanks, Marcia. I really appreciate that.
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Dang David! Great lookin stats! You’re beating me. LOL. I was giggling for sure that you think it’s me, and I think it’s you that got those winning numbers for one blog post. Guess we’ll settle for a dynamic team!
So happy to have you join us and share your advice about everything from WWBC, living with joy, and even why it’s important to get a pedicure once in awhile. 😉
Happy Milestone Party!
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Thanks, Jess. I’m glad you and Marcia invited me.
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Happy Lifelist Milestone Day, David! What I love about your list of goals is that they are ones that will bring joy not only to you, but to others around you. So glad you’ve become a part of the LLC!
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Thanks, Pam. I’ve found through the years that bringing hope, joy or whatever to others inevitably brings it back to me also. That’s how God works.
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