Blog Goals July 2013

Hello friends! I told you that I would be sharing some of my new goals for the blog, so here they are. You might think it's a liiiiiiiittle silly to have goals about writing a blog, but let me first share with you why I think it's important & then I'll let you in on what they are.

I'm extremely goal-oriented in mostly everything I do. Most of you should know that about me by now. I figure, if there's something I want/need to accomplish, it's surely not going to happen on it's own, so whether it's tackling a massive cleaning project, having a rummage sale, or filing my taxes, I usually have goals. John & I are trying to get better at planning future goals (not just project goals) for things like vacations, big purchases, & other dreams, but it's a challenge because it's something that you really have to work hard at.

One of my favorite mottos in life is "if you don't set any goals for yourself, you certainly won't reach them" (thank you to whoever said that). If I don't start planning or saving money for a trip to Europe, it's not gonna happen; if I don't research or set aside time to tend to my garden, it certainly won't grow; if I don't think through or assess how to re-purpose an old dresser it's going to be a big ol' mess. See where I'm going here?

Now it's one thing to have goals, but it's another thing to have SMART goals. Now this is where I get even dorkier than you thought was possible. "SMART" is an acronym for specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, & time-specific. So if I say that one of my life goals is to hop on a rocket ship to go to the moon, that would not be a SMART goal. A SMART goal would be something more like "attend space camp in Madison so that I can experience what going to the moon is like by December 2013." That's more specific, more attainable, measurable, etc.

I want to have goals for my blog so that I can:

• Have a clean, functioning blog that is easy for readers to navigate, that reflects who we are, & is inspiring to my readers
• Earn at least $20 a month so that I can invest it back into the blog
• Find outside resources so that I can grow as a blogger
• Meet other like-minded bloggers who can support, resource, & encourage me in my blogging endeavors
• Have fresh, unique creations so that I can share them on my blog

Now some of these things might happen without having goals, but I'm doubtful. Blogging for me is something that I really want to grow in & I figure that if I want to grow, then dang, I gotta get some SMART goals! Blogging well is something that is a challenge for me, as it is for most people just starting out. I know I have a lot of room for growth, & I want to get better at it. I want to learn how to be a better writer, photographer, & creator, & I know that these goals will help in in achieving that, or at least helping me get a little bit closer.

Here is a list of the goals that I have set up as of July 2013 (the struck-through goals have already been completed):

(what do you think of my new logo?)

Blog Design & Upkeep

1. Write 2-3 posts a week (specifically Wednesday's "What We Ate" & 1-2 others)
2. Set aside Mondays & Tuesdays to work on blog posts
3. Go through some of my poorly taken pictures & replace with better ones
1. Come up with a list of pictures that need to be replaced by August 2013
2. Make those recipes again, take a better picture, & re-post one per week
4. Learn to take better pictures with my Iphone so that I can have at least one post accepted by foodgawker &/or tastespotting
1. Find 1-2 better camera apps by August 2013
2. Buy more props, specifically 2-4 pieces of fabric, silverware, & wood boards for backgrounds by October 2013
3. Create a space to house all of my props by October 2013
4. Set 10-15 minutes aside prior to each photographing session to set up the photo area
5. Edit photos in photoshop by using contrast & other tools necessary
6. Post at least 3 pictures per post
7. Buy Tasty Food Photography by August 2013
5. Improve overall design/look
1. Create a logo & put it on all pictures, main header, etc. by October 2013
2. Improve the main header to reflect our mission by October 2013
3. Create & order business cards by October 2013

Financial & Promotion

1. Continue to submit at least one recipe weekly to foodgawker, tastespotting, & tasty kitchen
2. Participate in at least 3 collaboration boards on Pinterest by November 2013
3. Use social media smarter
1. Post to Facebook between 9am-4pm M-Th, Twitter around 1pm M-Th, Pinterest between 9am-12pm on Saturdays
4. Set up advertising on the blog by August 2013
1. Amazon associates
2. Pinch of Yum affiliate
3. BlogHer (applied in June)
4. Look for 1-3 other sources to have set up by November 2013
5. Set up domain (thehaasmachine.com) by Jan 2014
6. Move blog over to WordPress by Jan 2014

Resourcing

1. Read 2-4 books/other meaty resources on blogging by Jan 2014
2. Invest in "31 Days To A Better Blog" (online resource) & complete each of the assignments by October 2013

Community

1. Attend 1-2 conferences on blogging by Jan 2014
2. Invest in the Facebook blogging  groups, specifically by joining in on 1-3 pinning parties by Jan 2014

Creative

1. Post, at minimum, 1 new recipe each week
2. Post weekly "What We Ate" on Wednesdays
3. Post, at minimum 1 new project each month
1. Specifically, furniture make-overs once every other month
4. Set aside 2 hours a week to plan, prepare, & create a project, even if it's something very simple

Whew! There's some exciting things around the bend! In the next week or so, I will be finishing up moving the blog over to WordPress from Blogger (hoorah!) I'm also pretty pumped about 2 blogging conferences in October (1 online, another in Minneapolis) that I will be attending, as well as a 6-week home herbalist course (which will for sure inspire some blogging!)

Thank you for sticking with me & investing in my blog. I really treasure each of my readers & I hope that in the end, you've found even just a teensy tiny bit of inspiration here. Please let me know if you have any comments or questions about these goals or anything else in the comment section below.

I will let everyone know the exact date of the move to WordPress so that you don't miss any Haas Machine creations!