2026
We are now more than halfway through the third decade of the 21st century. And there are still no flying cars. Or anything else like the futuristic television shows of past times. No, the current genre is decidedly more dystopian than futuristic. In such times, setting goals is either madness or sanity. Who can tell?
Either way, fits my personality.
Those of you who read my 2025 Goals – Recap will recognize some of the same goals from last year. You may also notice that I only have 27 goals (down from 50); I tried to be more selective and also combined a few.
There is one thing I know about 2026: I need to focus on process, not product. I can’t control whether people read my books or buy my art, but I can do the necessary steps to make those things more likely.
| Type | Organization | Description | Time | Goal | Actual |
| Writing | Mailchimp | Monthly newsletter | 12 | ||
| Writing | Social media | Follow the strategy | 12 | ||
| Writing | Canine Accounting Capers | Canine Accounting Capers: Polish & Publish #3 | 1 | ||
| Writing | Canine Accounting Capers | Canine Accounting Capers: Write #4 | 1 | ||
| Writing | Finish Wandering Sadie | 1 | |||
| Writing | Children’s books | Paused. Just know these are available: “DDD”, “Whimbrels”, “Cows”, “Pelicans” | 0 | ||
| Reading | Goodreads | Challenge | 90 | ||
| Health | Continue Qi Gong, drink water, get enough sleep, eat for fuel, 10,000 steps daily | ||||
| Health | Alone time is important; Do NOT overextend (boards, volunteer) | ||||
| Art | Alaska AIR | Apply | Winter | 1 | |
| Art | Art on the Edge | Participate, if it goes | Spring | 1 | |
| Art | Emerald Art Center | Apply | Spring | 1 | |
| Art | Florence Plein Air | Participate | Summer | 1 | |
| Art | Equine Art Show | Participate | Summer | 1 | |
| Art | ISEA | Apply – Member | Winter | 1 | |
| Art | ISEA | Apply – International | Spring | 1 | |
| Art | ISEA | Apply – Member (juried) | Fall | 1 | |
| Art | NWWS | Apply | Fall | 1 | |
| Art | NWWS | Apply | Spring | 1 | |
| Art | Pacific Artists’ Co-Op Gallery | Display | 12 | ||
| Art | Western Fed | Apply | 2/1/26 | 1 | |
| Art | WSO | Apply – Spring | 2/1/26 | 1 | |
| Art | WSO | Apply – Fall | 8/1/26 | 1 | |
| Art | Blog posts | 24 | |||
| Travel | Manatee | January | 1 | ||
| Travel | Alaska | June | 1 | ||
| Nosework | Elite 1, L2C, L3C, L3I, other | 1 |
Since trying to do a media post each day in November, I’ve been recovering. That’s not possible, at least for me. There is a lot written about quality over quantity, about being authentic, about establishing goals. The whole thing is a little like having a child (I would guess): Everyone has an opinion about how to do it, but not one else has your kid.
I am also noticing, in myself, a creeping feeling of “I need to do more to justify this”. All the well-meaning advice centers on the premise that YOU can control your book’s destiny and if you aren’t getting sales, it’s YOUR fault. Just going to be honest here, but I think that may be in the same ballpark as victim blaming.
An author can do everything right and get nowhere near bestseller status. I’ve met so many authors who are doing all the things, and they are slowly building their audience, but they’ll never hit that elusive mark. It just takes some kind of magic… event.
I was hoping to have a detailed strategy to showcase for this post, but the fact of the matter is that I’m still working it out. Just know, I’m going to do some of things and the best I can.
At the Pacific Artists’ Co-Op Gallery, we decided to have a 12″ x 12″ show this month. The idea is that all the artists provide a piece and they are hung side-by-side. It’s an opportunity to see everyone’s stuff together. The piece above is: New Year’s Day at Grandma’s Kitchen Table. Grandma used to have those old milk glass mugs, and by the time New Year’s Day rolled around, we’d be packing up to head home. But I’d still get hot chocolate and listen to the adults talk about their resolutions for the new year.