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Aug 2, 20233 min read

July 2023 Progress Report

Hectic schedules plus hot weather made July a meh month.


Title card with man showing bar graph

I'm not a fan of summer. During my New Jersey childhood, I sweated through hot and humid days and fought mosquitos at night. We needed industrial fans to dry off from our showers.


Every few years, my Dad would take the family to Florida's Disney World -- in the middle of July. We'd roast in the morning and swelter in the evening as the masses lined up for one attraction or another. Since coastal breezes never reach Central Florida, post-thunderstorm evenings felt like walking through pea soup.


When I first moved to Colorado, the summers were tolerable. We'd have more days in the 80s than in the 90s with considerably lower humidity. I just needed to lather up with suntan lotion and drink my weight in water to keep cool.


Now, we have more days in the 90s and above. On top of that, I don't have AC in my apartment or my car. As a result, my energy levels tank as I try to stay cool.


Why this explanation about summer? Basically, I didn't do much to chip away at the July to-do list.


Meme featuring scene from "Raiders of the Lost Ark"

There were other mitigating factors. Getting up-to-speed at my new job enhanced the brain strain. Plus, my kids visited me for a few days, so afternoons were filled with activities focusing on them.


I don't feel guilty about my inactivity. Well, not enormously guilty. My financial situation has improved, so there's additional breathing room. I spent quality time with my kids, which I didn't do during the "bad days" of pre-bipolar diagnosis. Most important, I rested and took care of myself.


It doesn't mean nothing got done. In fact, I purchased two items in July to increase productivity. One was a lovely 24" LED monitor. The other was a full-sized keyboard. As a result, far fewer headaches and eye strain cases.


July 2023

Seventy letters of introduction (LOIs): I sent ten new LOIs in July, well below my goal. On the other hand, I put on my focus hat and followed up with 96 previous clients. In return, I received several responses. August goal: 50 LOIs


Six blog posts: Again, two for July. I've decided to post once a week and see how it goes. It requires dedication instead of streaming episodes of the original CSI. August goal: Four blog posts


Five Medium articles: Two articles in July. My initial goal was to earn a little side hustle money writing articles for the site. However, after reading information on the process, I'd rather not have my stories behind a paywall. I’m pausing this goal to find other locations to post my non-writing musings.


Fifteen pitches: A victim of a hot and busy July. August goal: 15 pitches


Send a non-fiction book proposal to a publisher: Sigh. August goal: Same as the last several months


Six Chapters of The Mediocre Quest of Rathspun: I started a new chapter, and then life got in the way. I need to put the focus hat on to finish the next installments. August goal: Eight chapters


A new eBook and Kindle Vella series: Another victim of July’s craziness. It's time to put my stories out for everyone to read. It's the best way people will recognize who I am. August goal: Same as July


Add videos to Fiverr gigs: I don’t know if I want to continue on this route. I'd rather shoot for high-paying customers instead of what Fiverr clients expect. I'll think about it over the month. August goal: Consider Fiverr goals


Add more print-on-demand designs: I’m looking to carve out one or two days to concentrate on non-writing creative tasks. Print-on-demand is one of these items. August goal: 20 new designs


Remove short stores from Kindle: All done. I'll prep them for a new book.


Apply to 10 writing contests: Two contests. I have a list of available offerings for the next few months. August goal: 10 writing contests


What Did We Learn Today, Rich?

In Colorado, school starts in mid-August. There will be a lot of driving as the kids register for school and start their extracurricular activities. Fortunately, those occur during the work day, so nights are available for butt-in-seat activities. Here's to moving forward several steps.


All the best.

Rich Scott Keller

 

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