Setting Goals When You Don't Know What the Future Holds

When writing the Setting the Stage for 2008 post, I realized that I forgot about the goal setting work I did at the Day-Long, Kick-Butt, Get-Your-Writing-Year-in-Order Lighthouse Writers Workshop. I didn't review my goals regularly even though they were in a file folder right on my desk. So this year, I'm going to blog them so it will be easier to check my progress.

Should I stay or should I go now?

At last year's goal setting workshop I set five, two and one year goals. While that was a good idea then, I don't think it's a good one now. Why? Because I'm going through a major life change.

No, I'm not getting divorced or moving to Europe. Instead, both of my kids will be in school full time at the end of August 2008. Yippee, let the champagne fly!

One year from now I will either be:

• Making a good full time living from my blogging and freelance writing, but still have the flexibility to work around my kids' schedules and spend time with them during school breaks and summer vacation.

OR

• Be working in a well paid corporate job that uses my writing skills and blogging, marketing, and social media expertise. My kids will be in after school, school break, and summer vacation programs.

What's a WAHM to do?

It's the work-at-home mother's dilemma. Do you go back to the corporate life now that all your kids are in school full time? Or do you remain a freelancer and devote more time and effort to it?

Freelancing is more flexible, you don't have a commute, and the pay can be pretty good if you work hard at marketing yourself and getting gigs. Still, corporate has its positives, including less worry about where the next paying gig is coming from, someone else footing the bill for everything from the phone to Internet access, and benefits like 401K matching and health insurance.

I'm fine living la vita freelance, but would I turn down a good corporate job if the opportunity came along? Not on your life. I'll start my job search in the summer with the strategy being that when the kids go back to school, I'll go back to the corporate world. Until then, I'll be working as hard as I can on my freelance business.