I started the year writing about the challenges of goal-setting and the need for accountability. I made the commitment to report my progress for goal setting.

Here were the goals and a March progress update:

Goal 1: Prepare for 2022 by increasing my knowledge base and improving my writing skills.

Strategies:

• Look into new skills that will make me more diverse and marketable
• Find free resources
• Create a “learning” budget I can use on courses
• Dedicate a set time for reading and learning.
• 15 minutes at the start of every work dayCreate themes for the month to focus the learning
• Repurpose my learning into a monthly blog

How did I do?

-Progress through the AWAI course continues to be slower than anticipated. “Six-weeks” is now going into twelve. Still, progress is being made.

-Free resources: most of my reading this month was in the AWAI course. I did read some extra articles related to work I was doing for clients.

-Goal: 15 minutes of reading at the start of every work day. A stacked workload impeded any reading. What time I did have to read, I dedicated to the AWAI course.

Progress: I give it a B, because of my still lack-of budget, the snail’s pace through AWAI, and not directly meeting the reading goal. I was reading and learning, but it’s all been on persuasive copy.

Goal 2: Reduce my dependence on Upwork clientele while finding opportunities for byline publication.

My stacked workload and focus on the AWAI course hampered any time to search for work outside Upwork. I was unable to take on any new clients or work because of the current client workload. I relied on outsourcing some work to meet my quotas.

Progress: D because of failing to scout for new work outside Upwork.

Goal 3: Maintain income stream of <confidential> through 2021. That’s an average of <confidential> per month.

I exceeded my goal for the month of March by just $14, but I expected income to be lower because of an end-of-the-month vacation which saw me wrapping up hourly-based projects. I also did outsource some more work to say float, which reduced my total revenue by 51% on those projects. I turned off my availability most of the month due to focus on current clients. Income is also likely to be lower next month because the vacation straddles the end of March and start of April.

Progress: B+ for exceeding the goal, by not by much.