Goals for Q2 2014

Ritual-Based Goals

Writing Goals

A total of 1,322×90 = 118,980 words at least. About 50% of them should have been published/out-in-the-wild.

I also need some mechanism of “Writer’s Feedback” which I currently don’t have. I only judge the quality of writing from the response I get from my blog readers (2000+ email subs). But that is not optimal. I need to grade my writing and send my A-Grade writing for review and feedback from fill-time, published, in-the-field writers.

 

 

Project Based Goals

Design By Momekh

WordPress Theme Design. I have gone through the BookYourselfSolid course once and setting myself up to accept two to three clients (baseline of 800US$ for a WP blog design). That’s the plan. The goal for this project is:

• Two WordPress themes out in the wild (not free but premium themes, possibly at themeforest)
• A client or three. I may not have time for this though (which is a good thing in some ways). But will be setting up a proper portfolio just in case. That’s the goal: Setting up a portfolio and the mechanism for accepting new design clients at pre-set base prices (starting from 800$, which I figure is cheap enough to get others interested and high enough to keep me interested. Yummy! But this assumption can only be tested once I have the portfolio and sales copy up.)
• Work Rate / Ritual: A total of 20 days with 2 P/D’s each day, every month (A P/D is a pomodoro > 30 minute). So that’s a total of 20x2x3 = 180 P/D’s for the quarter. Designing. Will possibly use RescueTime to track that (Photoshop and Aptana as the two apps that will count towards productive time). Interesting how I just called these two softwares “apps”. Anyways…

Blogstarta

This was a hosting company that I started way-back-when. Have a total of 20 clients, hosted on Hostgator reseller. Hostgator has, unfortunately, gone down the drain. Since the time HG was sold by the owner (who happened to be a friend of a friend, Paul Luning: this traveler you all will soon know about!)

I now plan to shift all existing customers to MediaTemple VPS.

The shift has ignited old flames and old plans. Plans that fit in quite nicely with my current push for design.

So for this quarter, Blogstarta will become:

• Goal: The sales-flow completely set-up and automated. Should have processed at least 5 new sign ups. Details of the goal: The online infrastructure for cooking enthusiasts. I have tons of experience setting up cooking blogs (thank you wifey!) and given my almost-addiction to web design, this fits in. Here’s the plan: a smugmug for cooks. The tech behind this needs to be understood at a deeper level (but not too deep). So this quarter, Blogstarta will be a front for cooks and bakers whom want to publish online (And even sell their creations).

The details of this startup are being fleshed out, but the overall concept seems solid. A typical startup experiment. Therefore, exciting. The goals stands for this quarter. Demands time which must be made for this. I am thinking 4 to 5 hours per week would be more than sufficient to get this up and running. At least a MVP should be up. (don’t know what an MVP is? Ask.  ).

LifeETC by Momekh: JustAddVenture

This is my basecamp, my online home, my community central. I serve people through this. All online identities flow from or lead to this.

The Writing Goals above are part of this. But there are specific goals for this quarter that I’d like to achieve.

Primarily because I have been unable to produce products (I only have two), I want to keep producing products within the community.

Online Products

List of products that will be launched in this quarter:

• The ProHobbyist (Lite) Course. Possibly on UDEMY or in-house. An in-depth course on how to take your hobby to business. Not less than 3 hours of videos with course notes.
• Find Your Business eBook: How to decide which business to start? Mini case studies of different enterprises that I’ve started myself, plus strategic advice on how to “approach” one’s business. Including the key concepts on the psychological and mindset. (this is because the number of people who don’t have the right mindset is quite large, as per the email responses I get).

The above are paid products. The old me would have outlined at least three more. But these two would be a good thing – nay, a GREAT thing – when I release them in this quarter. God willing.

Note: I have two paid products (both eBooks) right now.

Podcast/Radio show

Goal: A radio show with at least 5 episodes recorded, out of which 3 will be interviews. Then I will release the first one. This will need to happen within this quarter. I know I am giving myself too much time for this (Parkinson’s Law anyone?). But. But. But…

This is the white elephant. Massive. Angry. Unleashed. I hate this. I don’t want to do this. I know I can (supposedly I’m good at this), also I’ve declared many times before that I will do this. And have failed. Starting a podcast and quitting smoking, they are in the same boat. I hate boats.

Also makes this the “perfect candidate”, the litmus test of my own resolve. I know I need to do this. My “work” needs this. Fight. Here’s the battle plan:

• Will Lenzen, a fizzler, has this neatly planned out for his podcast. I was supposed to be on his show, but I was unable to be online (traveling without internet). My bad through’n’through. But his approach I like. Will copy. Copy, Will?
• The Brogan mentioned how podcasting needs to be part of your ritual, not a one-off. Makes total sense. It will become part of the ritual now. Days marked off per week where I will be recording my own dreadful voice on the computer.

Events

Two events.

1. WordPress meetup (angle: independent publisher, freelancing, design business, hosting business).

2. Online Business from Pakistan (angle: prohobbyists, freelancers, international shippers etc)

These two small events (min audience of 50 each) will happen in this quarter. God willing. I have done two such gatherings before, from within the LifeETC community. But these will be more topic based. Two small events/meetups within this quarter.

The events, I am hoping, will NOT be free to attend, a small ticket price will keep the crowds smaller and more attentive.

Cakes.PK

Currently Cakes.PK is doing very well in Lahore. Here is the mile-freakin-high plan for this wonderful experiment (a “prohobbyist” business with my wife!) for this quarter:

• Hire bakers so that the owners (my wife!) can keep the show running without direct technical intervention.
• Move out from the home-kitchen to a bakery. Requires capital, which Cakes.PK can now, Alhumdulillah, afford.

Some notes:

Before moving out, hire a part-time baker, who can help us move into the new, custom-made kitchen. This part-time employee will start work this month, in April. God willing.

We will move out when we find the location. We can wait: the summers here in Lahore are crazy, and starting an office that requires cool temps can be a pain in numerous body parts. But if we can “afford” it, we will. Affording means (1) money, (2) demand of cakes remains steady during May (which is a hot month, not as hot as June though. June burns.)