Today is Milestone Friday at Life List Club. We all blog today about our progress on our goals. We also all give away gifts on Milestone Friday. I’ll draw one name from among those who comment on today’s blog and one more name from among those who subscribe to my blog. If you do both, you won’t win two prizes, but you will have two shots at winning. Your prize will be your choice of one of the following:
- I trade guest posts with you.
- I promote your blog/website/cause in one of my blog posts.
- You interview me for your blog.
Other Life List Club members and their prizes – click on their names to go to their blogs:
Gary Gauthier– 1 ebook to a new follower
Jennie Bennett– To 2 commenters, a copy of Totally Cliche‘, the ebook in which her work is published
Jenny Hansen– To 1 commenter and 1 subscriber, choice of 1 prize: be interviewed at More Cowbell or Jenny will guest post at winner’s blog
Jess Witkins – An iTunes gift card and the opportunity to guest post or be interviewed on Jess’ blog
Marcia Richards– To 1 subscriber, new or exisitng, an Amazon gift card and the opportunity to guest post or be interviewed on Marcia’s blog
Pam Hawley– To 1 subscriber and 1 commenter, Choice of one prize: guest post @ Hawleyville, be interviewed @ Hawleyville, OR Pam will guest post at winner’s blog and promote @ Hawleyville
Sonia Medeiros – To 1 commenter, a $15 Amazon gift card
My goals:
Exhibit Jesus to others.
Let people see joy in me and in my writing.
Help others achieve their goals.
Write interesting tweets and blogs.
Finish compilation of inspirational stories, along with my commentary on them, by next spring.
Spend more time with kids and grandkids.
Expand Twitter following.
Expand blog readership.
This is my second Milestone Friday since I joined Life List Club. As before, I feel a bit strange talking to the world at large about my progress on my goals. Much of it is very subjective, and in areas where I feel like I’ve improved it’s hard not to sound like I’m tooting my own horn. Also, you who read my blogs and those who know me may have a different take on my progress or lack thereof.
Given that very large disclaimer, I’ll attempt to assess my progress.
I don’t think I’ll ever be able to say I exhibit Jesus as well or as effectively as I’d like to, but doing so has at least become a part of my nature. I doubt many people know me without realizing I’m a Christian. How good an ambassador for Jesus I am will have to be left up to others to determine.
Joy is so much a part of me that I find it impossible to be down or unhappy for a very long period of time. I just hope the joy shows through to others around me.
So far as helping others to achieve their goals, I think we all do that by following one another, reading one another’s blogs and commenting or tweeting about them. I do all these things, and I enjoy giving an encouraging word wherever possible, so to that extent I’d say I help. I hope I have helped you in some way or another.
How can I say whether or not I write interesting tweets and blogs. If I claim to, I’m bragging. If I don’t believe I do, I’m wasting my time online. I don’t get as many RTs and comments as some of my better known friends, but I do get some. I’d say I’m holding my own in this area.
Finish compiling stories and commenting on them for my upcoming book. I’m on target to finish by spring, but I don’t know how much editing and rewriting I’ll have to do before I get this work ready for market.
Spending more time with my kids and grandkids is more of a yearning than a goal, I suppose. I never miss an opportunity to spend time with them, but my daughter and her family live 230 miles or so from me, which limits opportunities to be with them. My son is only 30 or 40 miles away, but he and his wife lead very busy lives. I’d like to spend more time with all of them than I do.
Expanding my Twitter following is one place I can say I’ve done pretty well. From near zero a year ago, I’m now up to nearly 2,800 followers.
The blog readership continues to lag. Last time I checked I had 72 subscribers, but my daily readership continues to run between 25 and 50 most days. My biggest blog readership to date was 361 hits for my October blog on Plagiarism. I wish it had been on a more pleasant subject. Most of my posts seem to run between 50 and 75 hits.
Maybe between now and next Milestone Friday I’ll come up with some different goals, but that’s it for now. Be sure to comment, so I can enter you in my drawing.
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 
Thanks, Angela. You bless me, too. Happy New Year to you and yours.
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These are wonderful goals and your contest is a good idea. I believe by helping others, we also help ourselves along the path of success. Happy New Year to you.
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Thanks, Max. I agree about helping others.
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David look at all the women you have sending virtual hugs! Why! Because you deserve them! Your writing is like an oasis in a desert. I haven’t found a blog like yours before now and it may take time, as it does for all of us, to reach more people. You are doing so well and your heart shows through in ever post. You have a right to toot your own horn sometimes, and you instinctively know the humble way to do it. I’m so glad you joined LLC! I wish you even more success in the coming year!
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What lovely things to say, Marcia. Thanks – and I’m glad, too.
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Hi David, thought I’d pop in to say hello. Jenny mentioned on her blog today that you were participating in some linky blog love. I find your post very encouraging! You certainly sound like you’re living up to your goals. But we can be our own worse enemy, can’t we?
I myself am a new writer, blogger, twitterer (if there is such a word), it’s a bit overwhelming sometimes. But I’m working with Donna Newton in WWBC and joining ROW80 next week I think, if I don’t chicken out. I’m not quite comfortable voicing my goals/achievements to everyone on a post. Quite frankly it’s freaking me out. I’m not sure if I really know what I’m doing. lol
Thank you for your honesty David. I’ll be back for another visit soon. 🙂
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Thanks for stopping by, Karen. Hope you come back frequently.
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“I do all these things, and I enjoy giving an encouraging word wherever possible, so to that extent I’d say I help. I hope I have helped you in some way or another.”
David, we’re falling down on the job if you don’t know how much you give to and encourage others. You are such a support to me and you don’t even realize it…SHAME ON ME! I think you’re awesome.
“How can I say whether or not I write interesting tweets and blogs. If I claim to, I’m bragging.”
I don’t think it’s bragging to believe in yourself and your writing. That confidence is important to keeping you going and sharing your unique vision with the world. I think it is the WAY people sometimes toot their horn that puts people off (and you would never be an anoying tooter…I guess that doesn’t sound exactly right, but you get my drift. )
“I don’t get as many RTs and comments as some of my better known friends, but I do get some. I’d say I’m holding my own in this area.”
I’ve got some plans in this area…I just haven’t taken time to share them with you yet. Email to follow soon, but I think for many people, this comes down to a time thing. I’m looking for ways to spread the love in less time (hence the aforementioned “plans”).
Sorry to write a novel in your comments section but you got me fired up with this post. Never doubt for a second that YOU ROCK.
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Thanks, Jenny. I think you know I look up to you as a blogger. Your words are important to me.
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Thanks, David. While we’re on our mutual admiration bandwagon, I’ll tell you I look up to you as a person. You are a tremendous man. 🙂
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Thanks for inviting me here! I’m a firm believer in writing out specific goals, but have never done so on my blog. I think it’s a great idea, because it makes it “real.” It’s very brave, too, to acknowledge to the masses what you want to accomplish. As far as blog and twitter growth, congrats on all the twitter followers! I bow before you! 2800 followers on twitter is great! And I’m sure the blog readership will go up, although if you’re anything like me, it’s hard to be patient!
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Thanks, Lara. Since you mention goals on your blog, I’m sending you an email invitation to join LLC.
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Thanks! I’ll be looking for it!
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Pingback: Milestone by Milestone | Sonia G Medeiros
David, you’re doing great! I think we want to be so hard on ourselves. Exactly who are we comparing ourselves to anyway? No, we don’t want to give ourselves excuses to drag our behinds but we have to give ourselves credit for every advance. Success breeds more success. *thumbs up* to you, David!
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Thanks, Snoia. I appreciate it. I love encouraging people, but receiving encouragement is nice, too.
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Happy New Year, David and thanks for sharing. I have to congratulate you on getting 25 to 50 visits a day. That is quite an accomplishment. I don’t get nearly as many visits. In part, it’s because I don’t post very often. Also it could be that my blog hasn’t been around very long.
Good luck with your WIP. Maybe you could do a post in the future to update us on it. I don’t know much about it.
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Pingback: How Important Are Milestones? | Jenny Hansen's Blog
I admire the way you go for your goals, Bro. Seems to me that you are doing very well. I know you have been driven to write for as long as I can remember … and it makes me happy that you are succeeding so well in the blog world and working on your book. I particularly respect the way you have gone about looking at your mistakes and making great strides in becoming an effective writer. Love ya. Barb
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Thanks, Sis. You know where all the warts are and still love me anyway.
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David, I think you’ve done fantastic with your goals, don’t doubt yourself. I enjoy reading your posts and think you’re doing fantastic to try and build readership. May your 2012 be full of love and happiness!
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Thanks, Jennie. I always enjoy reading yours, also.
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Great goals and progess on them, David! Like others have said, I have enjoyed reading your blog since finding it earlier this year. Self promotion can feel like a tricky thing at times. As your continue on, the readers will come. Have a blessed New Year!
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Thank you, Barbara. And a blessed New Year to you, too.
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David, I agree with Renee! Your posts are always so well thought out and written from the heart. You shouldn’t be discouraged. I’m happy to help with a guest post anytime! Happy New Year David!
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Thanks, Jess. You and the other LLC members are always a great encouragement.
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You have such a beautiful site and words to go with it. Eventually you will be Freshly Pressed which will boost your views!
Don’t forget to promote your blog 3X when you blog!
Happy New Year!
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Oops! Actually, I promote it four times the day I post and twice the next day. I wonder if I need to find some other hashtags besides #WWBC #MyWANA #Lifelistclub and #Christian to promote it on. Anyhow, thanks, Susie.
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I’ve enjoyed so many of your blog posts David, and always look forward to them! You always come up with topics that are both interesting and inspirational, and write them very well! Raising my LLC party glass (OK, coffee mug) for a toast!
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Oh, Pam, make it a roast. Toasts are too serious. Thanks.
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“Spending more time with my kids and grandkids is more of a yearning than a goal, I suppose.”
I have loved reading every post you’ve written since I’ve met you. And somehow I missed your plagiarism post! Don’t be discouraged aboutbthevnumber of subscribers you have. Just keep writing the best you can.
Happy New Year, David! And many happy returns of the day!
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Thanks, Renee. You’re always an encouragement. Reading these comments, I wonder if my post sounded morose. Didn’t mean it to. Just trying to make honest assessments. I always see sunshine and can’t stay down very long. Don’t let that keep anyone from giving an encouraging word, though.
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