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 February 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.
  1. 15 minutes at the start of every work day
• Create themes for the month to focus the learning
  1. Repurpose my learning into a monthly blog

How did I do?

-I still have not set a budget, but I finally finished the AWAI course! Now I need to pass the exam.

-Free resources: most of my reading this month was in the AWAI course. So, no.

-Goal: What time I did have to read, I dedicated to the AWAI course or research for work.

Progress: I give it a B, because of not setting the budget and not directly meeting the reading goal.

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

Unfortunately I still have not hunted for new clients off Upwork because of the workload and AWAI course. If anything, my dependence upon it grew.

Progress: F 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.

When I ran the numbers, I was shocked. I ended up 18% below the goal. I felt like I worked so hard in April and for it to be that low was disappointing. I did have a vacation at the start of the month, but it wasn’t enough days off to account for such a drop.

I outsourced three projects but even accounting for the lost income, I would still be 10% under goal.

On analysis, I actually had the most income off Upwork to date but less off-platform work. I also had no special big projects. Every month to date I had one special project with decent income.

Progress: C for being far under the goal