Discussion: 15 Goals For 2020

The Discussion Challenge is hosted by Feed Your Fiction Addiction & It Starts At Midnight.

I know everyone posted their New Year’s goals a few weeks ago, but better late than never, right? I rarely achieve my New Year’s resolutions, but that doesn’t stop me from making them. Here’s what I hope to accomplish in 2020.

Me Goals

1. Get a better job. Or a second job.

Working in the wilderness is cool; minimum wage is not. I’d really enjoy not being poor, thank you very much. I either need a new job or a second job. Just thinking about jobs is exhausting. How do people work 8-12 hours a day and then go to a second job and work more hours? I might tell you the answer to that question at the end of 2020. Stay tuned.

2. Acquire an automobile.

I’ve never owned a car before. I suspect that cars make life easier. That is probably why so many people have them. It will for sure make carrying groceries home easier.

3. Write a horror novella . . . or novelette . . . or scary thing.

I want to return to my misspent youth! I spent my teenage years writing horror stories, posting them online, and receiving decidedly mixed reviews. I loved it. I’d like to get back into fiction writing. I want to write something that’s longer than a short story but shorter than a novel. So, like, 15,000-20,000 words? I’m trying to think of a scary topic to write about. The scariest thing I can think of right now is the 2020 presidential election. So . . . who’s ready for some election horror?

4. Actually go hiking.

One of my resolutions last year was to make a list of hiking trails and go on them. I got as far as making the list. Then I ended up working pretty much every day during the summer and fall. I want to start hiking again, even if I have to do it when there’s snow on the ground.

5. Eat less frozen garbage.

I think 97% of the food I eat comes out of the freezer and goes into the microwave. I’d like to actually cook something, not just nuke it ‘til it’s not frozen anymore. So, what are your favorite cookbooks? I need food that’s cheap, healthy, quick, and idiot-proof. Also, I need any excuse to get another book, right?

6. Run 2 miles in under 20 minutes.

I run three days a week, but I’m still the slowest runner ever. It doesn’t help that I live in a place with big hills. I’m fine for the first mile, and then each mile after that feels like I’m getting closer and closer to death. By the end of my runs, I can see a white light, and all my dead loved ones are starting to gather around me.

7. Pass gym class.

Since I’m returning to my misspent youth, I might as well return to the disaster that was gym class. I could never pass the push up/sit up test. I could do maybe four of each. Let’s change that in 2020 and shoot for 10+ sit ups and 10+ push ups.

8. Relearn Spanish . . . take two.

This was a 2019 resolution. I did a few lessons and quickly remembered how much I loathed Spanish classes as a kid. I’m going to try again this year and see if I can make it past lesson #3. If I set the bar low, I won’t disappoint myself. (Watch me quit after 4 lessons.)

9. Maybe shoot a gun?

Okay, I realize this sounds like a terrible idea, but I want to know what all the gun hype is about in the US. I live in a community where people love hunting. I can buy a gun at the same Walmart where I get my groceries. Why do people like these things so much? I want to understand the appeal.

10. Maybe survive an apocalypse?

I’ve always been interested in wilderness survival. Pretty much everything I know about it comes from Girl Scouts and Discovery Channel shows. I think it’d be helpful to learn what to do if I’m ever lost in the woods without a working phone. Since I tend to wander, getting lost is a real possibility. Wilderness survival skills may also be helpful in the unlikely event of an apocalypse. I can tell everyone that I’m preparing for an apocalypse and pretend that reading wilderness survival books is an excellent use of my time.

Blogging And Reading Goals

11. Figure out how to win at Pinterest.

For some reason, my blog gets a lot of traffic from Pinterest. I don’t know why because I don’t put a ton of effort into Pinterest. I just . . . pin stuff. And people find it. Somehow. I feel like I should be taking advantage of Pinterest and doing more to promote the blog on that site. I just need to figure out what I should be doing. I’m clueless. Help?

12. Start participating in Can’t Wait Wednesday.

I’m already doing this goal! Look at me, succeeding at 2020. You may have seen my Can’t Wait posts already. Can’t Wait Wednesday is hosted by Wishful Endings. It’s a chance to spotlight upcoming book releases. I’ve never paid much attention to new books, but I know that preorders are massively helpful to authors. Preorders are what get books on bestseller lists. If I can encourage preorders and help out some authors, I want to do that.

13. Maybe become an affiliate?

Is it worth the effort to become an Amazon or Book Depository affiliate? Whenever I buy something from those sites, I use a fellow blogger’s affiliate links, but I’m guessing most people don’t do that. I’ll have to do more research on this subject. If you’re an affiliate, please tell me how it’s going for you.

14. This place needs serious help in the design department.

The blog needs a makeover. It’s needed a makeover since the second I created it. I probably need to pay an artist to redesign the graphics because I obviously can’t do it myself. I’m the one who made this mess! I’m open to suggestions of where to find a new header.

15. Read at least 50 books

Look at all my goals! Obviously I’m going to be busy this year. I usually try to read 100 books a year, but that’s not going to happen this time. Let’s all cross our fingers and hope for 50.

What are your goals for 2020?