Let’s begin by LOOKING BACK, as the year that followed my ambitious goal-setting was unprecedented. (The most overused word for 2020!)

I started this annual practice in 2011 as I felt I had to let my followers and subscribers know why they were not hearing from me very often. At that point, I was in the midst of a long divorce that left me struggling on many levels, hence my either not having time to blog or having no motivation to. (It’s hard to get any work done if you are crying all day.)

Looking Back

Last year I set a heap of ambitious goals. Reviewing my 2020 goals list, I am pretty impressed with what I managed to accomplish, considering …

  1. Become Facebook Blueprint Certified.
  2. Launch my Idea Majesty website and expand my marketing services. (This goal will never roll over again!)
  3. First, get to 150lbs, and then target 140lbs. (I struggle to stick with the WW 23 points a day program. Stress? Menopause? Also, I am PittaGirl1967 if you want to connect with me on the app.)
  4. Publish FIVE books. All four of Helene’s and one of my own.
  5. Spend a day at a Dr. Joe Dispenza workshop. (He is coming to Ottawa, ON, in June.)
  6. Win a romantic trip for George and me.
  7. Win a clean sweep. (Watch my video from last fall if you don’t know what a clean sweep is.)

Overall

I started the year strong by republishing Helene Hadsell’s first book Contesting: The Name It & Claim It Game, in January. I then began working on In Contact With Other Realms. Helene’s second book.

By March, the lockdowns began in the province I live in, in connection with my pinching my static nerve. I spent about a month either working at my makeshift stand-up desk on sitting on a heating pad on the couch with a lap desk.

I published In Contact With Other Realms in April, but as it wasn’t a sweepstakes book, it couldn’t live in Contest Queen. I began writing all the content for Idea Majesty. Not only did I write the content, but I also worked on the website structure and layout, as much as my limited website-building talents would let me. It gave my webmaster a firm structure from which to finish building. I began working on Confessions of an 83-Year-Old Sage while my webmaster finished the site.

Goal 1 – Fell by the Wayside

As I focussed on writing books, becoming Facebook Blueprint Certified fell by the wayside. I did check mid-year, and they offer more certifications and many more classes. This one may be a fleeting goal. We shall see.

Goal 2 – Accomplished!

In August, I officially split Contest Queen in two. Contest Queen became a teaching platform for sweepstakes, and Idea Majesty became my marketing and author website. Helene’s other books now had a place to live, and I finally could stop putting ‘launch my new website’ on my goals list!!

Around the same time, I realized I needed to put Helene’s books on hold while I updated How To Win Cash, Cars, Trips & More! My original publication date for my 3rd Edition was November 30th, 2020. As the summer passed and the fall loomed, it became clear I wasn’t going to reach my goal. A new goal was set, along with a new name. Prizes, Prizes, Everywhere! is set to be published on January 28th. Unless I hit an unforeseen snag, that project is on track.

Some goals disappeared, and some became difficult.

Goal 3 – Reversed!

Once the lockdowns happened, the gyms closed, and I sat on my couch working. I broke up my day by baking. Muffins, cookies, bread, etc. Baking has always been a stress reliever for me. Doubly this year. When it was warm enough out, I began PIN code hunting, but only one contest was running. I walked only half as far each day. I wasn’t incentivized to keep going. Not a lot to win. In the end, I gained 20 lbs, vs. losing 20 lbs. It doesn’t help I am in menopause, and I find it far easier to gain weight than lose it. I have already begun my days with self-care (yoga, meditation, and journaling). I believe that will start the pendulum swinging in the other direction.

Goal 4 – 1/2 Way

I published two of Helene’s books and almost finished one of my own. That’s actually pretty good. The goal of publishing five books may have just been a bit too aggressive, anytime.

Goals 4, 5 & 6 – Disappeared

These three goals I had no control over these. Events were canceled. Travel halted. Contests, sweepstakes, and giveaways vanished. I am hesitant to put them on my goals list for 2021 as I have a feeling I won’t be able to accomplish any of them until 2022. Time will tell.

2021 Goals

I believe I am not the only one who has changed their 2021 goals based on the previous year, and yet many are the same.

  1. SELF CARE! Let go of 30-40 lbs. Exercising daily. Meditating daily. Drinking lots of water and eating better. More vegetables and fewer carbs. If 2020 taught us anything is that our health is paramount.
  2. Publish three books. Two of Helene’s and one of mine. Maybe start a fourth. We shall see.
  3. Better my video production game. New everything! Laptop, camera, lighting, microphone, table, chair. (Did I forget anything?)
  4. Balance content and social posts for both Contest Queen and Idea Majesty.

Not as ambitious as 2020, but I believe achievable.

Tracking Wins

I used to track my wins all the time. I stopped when I was going through my divorce as I wasn’t winning much and was generally sad. In 2019 I won heaps of instant prizes. Especially during the summer while I PIN Code hunted. Although I did not win a grand prize, I wished I knew how much I really did win. Then I started tracking in 2020. I gave up when the lockdowns started, and the sweepstakes started disappearing. Let’s try again this year!

Here is the link to my annual Track Your Wins spreadsheet. Scroll down to download your FREE copy.

The Journey

If you are new to me, you can read previous annual posts to see what goals I set, what I achieved, where I fell on my face, and, most importantly, how I picked myself up and kept going:

What are your 2021 goals?