Day 80 of the Start Fast, Finish Strong Challenge

Okay, if you can add it's closer to day 85 but whatever, it's also time for my review so this is a nice way to kill two birds with one stone.

 There's been a couple of really good messages on the challenge lately (focus, branding), and some so so ones.

The biggest challenge at this point is Christmas.   It's an absolutely horrible distraction when you're trying to 'finish strong' and really makes you think twice about using the last 100 days of the year for this program.   Probably the first 100 would be a better option.

Okay, update on my various goals:

Health: Reached my goal Early!!  Well my initial goal, some time ago, but I lost a little of the weight and not regained it.   Not going to reach my revised goal (well, maybe, putting on weight around Christmas shouldn't be a problem...)

Relationship:  I am just about ready to call this one complete too.   Certainly should be reached by end of year.

Writing:  The chances of me getting a publisher between now and the end of the year are extremely slim to none and slim is boarding a bus.    However, this wasn't the most realistic goal in the first place and one I didn't really apply myself too.    Despite that I have made fantastic strides getting in getting it editted, getting an agent interested and am now working on revising the first three chapters based on editoral feedback (should have been done weeks ago) to send to the agent.    I am estatic about how good the revisions are coming along.   They are really making it a stronger book all around.

Website: Again, not the most realistic goal and nothing short of a small, gracious miracle will get me to my goal now.  However, again, fantastic strides have been made.  And again, this is a goal I didn't give as much attention as it really deserved or required.   However, to be honest, I really didn't know what I was getting myself into.    Running a website business is a FAR cry from running a blog.    There's SO much to learn and do and it'll take me months to really master everything.    It's also really hard to do it part-time while also working on other goals.     I now have a logo for the website.    Development is currently on slow while I concentrate on my book.

Finances: Ah... yeah.... Well... this one was always tied directly into Writing, website and investment.   Investment was put on hold long ago now because I need to have a worthwhile amount of cash to start with.  Writing and web have already been talked about above.    My biggest failing here really is a lack of focus on marketing my website.   And that's because of how I've structured my time.    When I do my web work it's not possible for me to be going onto social sites to market it.     When I could go onto those sites I'm too busy hitting the gym, working on relationships and writing plus normal day to day living.   So it's been overlooked.

Overall:   I must say, despite the fact that I may fall short of reaching all my goals, I have made tremendous progress in reshaping my life.   I am much healther, have a budding relationship with an outstanding woman, plus made super valuable friends along the way, my book is going from good to 'great' and I am very confident it WILL be published, it's only a matter of time.   My website is happening and really is a source of great pride and joy for me.  It will take some time, in the normal course of things, to build up and become substancial and really start to make me serious cash, but I don't doubt it'll happen.    It also needs to really establish a 'brand' and identity that seperates it from the crowd, but I do feel that is happening.   With a book going to be published and website business launching I can certainly see the day when all my goals here will be accomplished even if it hasn't happened within the initial 100 days.

I would really love to repeat the challenge but with fewer goals so I can actually have time to impliment the daily goals the challenge gives you.   As is, both my challenge buddy and I have felt overwhelmed by taking on 5 goals on top of already busy lives (especially now around Christmas).   I'm not sure if all the lessons will remain open to me once the challenge is over or if I'd have to pay again.  Hopefully the former.

Another 15+ days to go.   It is Christmas, the time of miracles so here's hopeing there'll be a Christmas miracle for me.