By Sammy Ginsberg
Okay. It’s a process to make a good plan, so I am going to start by looking at the Purpose and Contribution goals I created back in update #1, the first post and overview of the project.
My definition for a stable purpose and contribution was, “using and developing my abilities that allow me to contribute to my community in a way that I believe is meaningful and allows me to feel valuable” and created goals around that. I called them SMART goals, but they aren’t actually SMART goals because to be a SMART goal they need to be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timebound.
Thus, on this page, I am going to write out my process to creating my SMART Goals.
Here’s version 1:
| CATEGORY | SMART GOAL |
| Arts, Culture & Writing | – Write articles for newspaper/magazines – finish screenplay with Juliana Whitney – to start a magazine, zine press and chapbook publisher & distribute it around town – to write my utopia novel and my us state embassy idea and put on fun events at the house and in LA, -write about exploring the cultural community in LA. – To upload all my poems, blovels, and journals to the Literary Pixie blog. – Finish burnt out bitch. |
| Education & Literacy | – Work for an organization that supports developing my ELA curriculums and allows me to run/be involved in a writers’ festival, poetry festival, and literature festival for Los Angeles community – teach about 21st century literacy (housing, money, health, relationships & improving the current system to update to 21st century needs in improving quality of life for all living beings (plants, animals, and people) -to get my health teaching certification and teach about sex and health and publish my blow gift magazine! – understanding how to improve the infrastructure and training for ELA teachers in LA and preventing burnout |
| Health | Understanding what a healthy lifestyle is, and living it, so that I can one day be a wellness coach/teacher |
| Improving Los Angeles | Understanding how a neighborhood and city functions. |
Here’s Version 2:
| Goal | Category | How will you measure? | When will you complete by? |
| I will define healthy living and quality of life in the 21st century and make a list of health issues I’m having, what I want to learn about, and books/resources I can learn from, and make a plan to do the work. | Health | I will create a google form to track the healthy behaviors, and my feelings and beliefs about how healthy I am. I will also find objective data through biometric exams that can be measured in my blood/medical tests from my doctor. | I will complete this by June 2026. |
| I will give myself 1.5 hours a week to engage in content that helps me learn about my health issues and improve my quality of life. | Health | I will track on my google form what day of the week I complete this task, how much time I spend on this task in reality per week, and aim for a 75% success rate. | I will successfully implement this behavior into my weekly routine by October 1, 2025. |
| I will write a book review about the books I read while learning how to improve my health and quality of life. | Health/Education/Writing | I will publish at least 10 book reviews on my blog and share my reviews on GoodReads, Amazon, and in my email newsletter, and in my affiliate bookstore on Bookshop.org/ on my lending library page. | I will publish all 10 by June 2026. |
| I will write and share updates about what I am researching and learning about. | Health / Education / Writing | I will share these updates in my seasonal newsletter sent out four times a year. | I will have published all four seasonal newsletters on my blog and shared them on my social media platforms by June 2026. |
| I will create a digital book about my research journey and what I learned based on my blog posts that can be read online and can be printed. | Health / Education / Writing | I will publish one blook using an independent publishing company to publish a polished version of one my blooks in ebook and print, and help me distribute it. | I will complete this task by January 13, 2026 (my 32nd birthday!) |
| I will organize and run the Los Feliz Writers Festival to develop my own writer identity and that of my community, and to build relationships and validate our voices. | Writing/ Education/ Improving Los Angeles/Health | I will do one 3 minute performance and lead a writing workshop at the festival. There will be at least 20 other writers who live in Los Feliz who participate in the festival, and 50 people who attend our Voices of Los Feliz event just to listen. I will build a contact list of 20 writers who want to participate in a regular co-writing space in Los Feliz, apply for a Los Feliz Writer-in-Resident program, and get involved in the second Los Feliz Writers Festival. | I will complete all of these tasks by August 30th, 2025. |
| I will organize a co-writing space that is in-person weekly in Los Feliz where we work on our projects, and once a month one person can have their writing workshopped. | Writing | I will organize the weekly event with one to two partner facilitators so that we are able to be absent if needed ideally having a group of the same five people who attend regularly. | I will launch this in September with a break in December, start again in January, and finish again in June. |
| I will finish writing, publishing, distributing, and publicizing Burnt Out Bitch to help me process these last four years of teaching so that I can forgive, learn, and move forward with my life – as well as connect to my own high school experience and truly heal some of my childhood wounds. | Writing / Health/ Education | I will write, edit and publish the Burnt Out Bitch blook on Literary Pixie in an SEO optimized format. I will contact the people who may recognize themselves in some of the characters or who are literally named to let them know that I will be publishing this book, asking them to read the book, and let me know if there is anything they don’t feel comfortable with before publicizing the blook. I will publish my blook in a serialized format on my Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and email contact lists. I will create a a polished version of the blook and create an ebook/print version so that the book is easy to access by traditional publishing methods. I will write and pitch articles/op-eds/essays to 10 different publications. | I finish writing and editing the blook by August 1st. I will contact people and write letters during September and October. I will launch publishing the serialized version of my blook on the anniversary of my last day of work or the day I started writing the book – aka November 6th or November 21st – we’ll decide at a later date depending on timeline – one or two a week leading up to my birthday launch party. I will finish the the ebook/print so it can launch on my birthday. I will write and pitch the 10 publications before launching the serial posts on either Nov 6/21 depending on things. |
| I will start building my PR agency for therapists(1), academics(2), teacher-educators(3), writer/poet (4), and college and career (5) counselors in Los Angeles. | Arts | I will make a plan and act on a PR plan to try to get 5 teachers to enroll in a 12-week coaching program specifically for supporting teachers experiencing burnout. I will identify the 4 people and ask if I can collaborate with them for free if they will serve as my case study, recommend me to their friends, and pay me if they make any money from my services or think what I have done has value to them and can afford it. | I will complete my first PR project by August 1st. I ask the four people by September 1. I will create case studies and be ready to launch my services for payment in June 2026. |
| I will find a job that aligns with my core purpose of teaching literacy skills and supporting teachers that allows me focus on what I need to do to become stable. | Health | I have been offered to sub, and am waiting on two more job opportunities that meet this need. Then I will pick one to focus on that requires no take home work and stays within the boundaries of 8am to 4:30pm, no weekends – unless compensated accordingly. | I will apply and make a choice by August 1, 2025. |
Okay, wow that was super helpful! I’m going to move this onto an excel document so that way I can chunk things and then put their deadlines in so I can see what I need to focus on for each month, because honestly – writing this out seemed a little long.
Also – turn this into the example for a resource tool, so if you want to use this graphic organizer for your own goals – feel free!
Remember! No self-sabotage. Pick three to focus on each month! That’s it. Honestly, maybe just one. Is it possible?!
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