Big Dreams Blogfest 2016 #1

The Big Dreams Blogfest is hosted by myself and Misha Gericke.

This  blogfest is as much about accountability as it is dreaming. In one way, it gives us a place to set goals each month and in another it's a place to talk about the steps we took--or didn't take--to get there.

When Misha and I started this blogfest in 2013,  I had two goals. 1)Make a million dollars writing in a twelvemonth period 2)Write a million words.
I've all but given up on one goal. At this point in time, I find it unreasonable to think I will ever make a million dollars writing, but I'd be happy just making a living writing now. I still recognize the need to write a million words. (This is the point at which an author is said to become an expert, and being an expert would likely make profitability easier).

My goals for 2016:
Increase my count to a million by two hundred thousand words.
Get romantic fiction published in woman's world ($800/short would help with next goal)
Make $1,500/month writing at least one month this year.
Get my thesis novel through the first pass
Complete 20 graduate hours
Find a new job (I quit the day job due to migraines).
Get off Coke-Cola
Find a better writing/life balance. (I either don't write at all or abandon other parts of life).
Make $500/month writing at least one month before June


Now what I've accomplished this year:

1. Not as much as I would have liked
2. I wrote a draft of my thesis novel! (57,834 words)
3. 10 grad hours
4. Romantic short to submit to woman's world (969 words cut to 800).
5. wrote a picture book 5,000 words

Goals for this month:

1. Get blog traffic back to 100 hits/day (I was getting 200 before going back to work)
2. Add 2 scenes to thesis novel
3. Get through 1 round of revisions on thesis novel
4. Write four shorts for submission to Woman's World
5. Find 3 other mags to submit to regularly 

Steps I'm Taking to Get There

1. I've introduced a DIY MFA series in which I give away tips I'm learning at $7100/semester. Traffic has already gone up since introducing the series last week. I'm also opening to guest posts again, provided the author give some useful hints on craft in the post.
2. I've thought out the scenes to be added and will be adding them Sunday/Monday morning.
3. As I'm currently unemployed I'm writing in the morning before doing anything else. This ensures I get writing time, but may have to change when I find a job.
4. Saturday morning is my "Market Place day." The writing I do on Saturday morning is for a short I can quickly submit.
5. I do not have a good way to find 3 other mags to submit to. I have found a couple of resources but need free resources!

I will be hopping around a little bit later. Must do some cleaning first. Do you know of free resources to find mag/online writing opportunities? What did you accomplish in 2015? What are your goals for 2016? What steps are you taking to get there?