25%

I blinked. And the first quarter was over.

That means it’s time for a business analysis. And as sterile as it sounds, sometimes I think about my life as a business or a corporation or a machine. And in any good business, when the first financial quarter of the year is over, you have to evaluate. You have to take a good look and see what’s profitable and what’s not, what’s working and what’s broken, what's growing and what's stagnating. Most importantly, you have to look at the progress that’s been made in relation to where you want to be. Are you on an upward trajectory or a downward spiral?

That’s the thing about business people: they’re smart. They’re smart to divide the year into chunks, rather than trying to push change through like a steam roller at the beginning and end of the year. Because, let’s be honest, does that really work for anyone? Does it allow for major catastrophes and minor monkey wrenches that appear over the course of the year to mess with your well-laid plans? Does it allow for adjustments to be made when unexpected opportunities show up with a bouquet of flowers and a bottle of wine? (No, it doesn’t.)

This is the part where I take up the mirror and check in on my New Year’s resolutions/11 things list and see what’s what. You don’t have to come along for the ride, I wont’ be offended. It’s a boring, self-serving blog post, but something I need to do nonetheless. After all, once it’s all in writing and I send it down the river, I have to be accountable for it.

11. Domain Registration
Halfway there. Website domain is registered; blog domain is not.

10. Blog Redesign
Done, thanks to the help of the amazing @solaana!

9. Website Creation
See above.

8. Twitter Account
I’d say the glass is one third full. I have been doing more, but there’s still more I can be doing in regards to my personal account.

7. Guest Posting
I give myself 4% on this. I have one guest post here: Finding It

6. Writing Projects
FAIL—Have I taken part in anything since #reverb10? Nope.

5. $$$$$$
I get a 60% on this. Did I start those new freelance projects? Yes. Do I let other stuff get in the way of working on them as much as I should? Yes.

4. Submit to Print
FAIL—I think I might have submitted something somewhere in January. Or was that February?

3. Read More Books
40%--I did ask for a bunch of my birthday! And I read two of them. And then I got distracted by the Real Housewives of New York marathon. (For shame.)

2. Do It Ever Day
FAIL—I let laundry and bills and work and other stuff totally get in the way of writing on the regular. Plus I regularly fall back on that downy pillow of an excuse: “But I’m just so tired!”

1.Storytell
FAIL—Not gonna lie, this ones scares me more than all the rest combined.

So the progress is decent, but I think the stock holders are going to be looking for a better return in the second quarter.

Comments

[Stephanie (@dancingwaves)]

This is a really smart way of thinking about the year, Noël. I really appreciate you writing about it. I worked as a store manager for nearly two years and still don't think of my life that way.

What books did you read? Anything you'd recommend?

And honestly, "storytell" scares the crap out of me, too.

[Dragonfly]

Ahhh....the storytell gets easier as you get older. I love the business plan idea but feels it leaves out how to manage the things we have no control over.....the blips and bumps of life.

[Shannon]

I think you've done marvelously well this first quarter. Love that you are holding yourself accountable, but I'd like you to be a LOT easier on yourself. :)

[Diana]

1) Stop telling yourself you FAILed. The year isn't over yet.
2) The past 4 months flew by - I think they sneak-attacked all of us.
3) You let your life get in the way - in a good way. You have friends, family, a fiance, and things to do.

I always used to think in quarters too - I stopped because I've been out of corporate for a bit - but I just looked at my goals for 2011 and thought about what I've done so far. I think I've done a lot. I thought I didn't - honestly - because there is always more to do - but considering you are trying to do all of this while having a full-time job - give yourself more credit girl!!!!
:)

[Roxanne]

I like this system of self-assessment and the accountability the business world inspired in your personal goals. You know I love your new domain and the direction in which you are taking this blog. It may seem presumtuous to disagree with your self-assessment, but I will go out on a limb and do it anyway: I already think of you as a storyteller, a marvelous one. You tell stories 140 characters at a time - especially yummy ones. You tell stories in this space. I love reading them, and I know others do too.

I follow @storytellin on Twitter because I enjoy thinking about new conceptions of stories and of telling them. Also, I signed up for Goodreads and have a list on my blog of books I wish to read and books I have read. I do not let the former list act as a form of pressure to read at all -- that said, browsing it always makes me want to pick up a book.

This long-winded response is to say one thing: Self-kindness :) And that I love what you are doing.

[Noel]

@Stephanie--I just finished "The Red Queen" by Phillipa Gregory, which I loved. All of her books are sort of a guilty pleasure for me, so that was a fun one! I also read Kelly Cutrone's "If You Have to Cry, Go Outside," which was a total 360. I got a lot of inspiration for work from that book. Next up is Tara Austen Weaver's "The Butcher and The Vegetarian," which I meant to start awhile ago but then misplace!

And I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one who is a little nervous about writing fiction! :)

[Noel]

@Dragonfly--I hope so! :)I just need to practice, I think.

[Noel]

@Shannon, thanks!! :)

[Noel]

@Diana--thanks so much! I'm glad I'm not the only one who felt like the first few months of 2011 flew by. And I so loved your point about family and friends getting in the way, and that that's a good thing. I need to add "time with family and friends" as a permanent resolution, so it gets space and attention too. :)

[Noel]

@Roxanne--my jaw just hit the floor in that awesome, epiphany sort of way. You are so right on. I do want to branch out into fiction, but your assessment of social media outlets being a new mode of story telling is so right on. And it's accessible for everyone, not just those with a hot publishing deal. How exciting--I'm glad we are a part of it! :)

[Kim]

Now, you know if I hadn't read that list of yours I wouldn't be any good at holding you accountable.

First, I would love to have you guest post anytime. You know what we write there. You let me know when you have an idea and a good time to do it, and we'll set it up. It's not the greatest venue in the world for promotion :) but you are so more than welcome.

Second, I agree with everyone who said you were a little too hard on yourself, but I can think of a handful of reasons that I'd be just as hard on myself if I were going to self-assess this way. And I love your stories and your truths. You may not be documenting everything, but I have a feeling you're doing a lot of living. And I'm just going to get all English major-y on you for a minute and remind you that Wordsworth required "emotion recollected in tranquillity" to create. He had to let things process. He trusted the subroutines in his brain to make sense of things and didn't force them. When they came, they came at the right time. Trust your subroutines. They know what they're doing.

[Noel]

@Kim--I am SO honored by your offer! Thank you!! :) I will DM you for more info! :)

Also, I LOVE your concept of subroutines. You're so right--you can't force them. That's the advice I needed on this rainy Monday.