Five Ways to Set Realistic Writing Goals
Stop Stressing and Start Writing
Stop Stressing and Start Writing
In times past when I sat down to write, I became a little overly ambitious, I got so excited and inspired! Suddenly my fingers were click-clacking away at the keyboard in front of me, with no sort of rhyme or reason to them. I had no sort of plan or goal — and if there was a goal, it often was not the most realistic one. I tell myself that what I’ve just begun will certainly turn into an amazing book. The next big thing! A New York Times Best Seller, for sure! But I quickly realize that I can’t just sit down and write an entire book. Something like that takes a lot of planning. Diving head-first into something as complex as a full-length book is less than ideal — and almost sure to end in overwhelming failure.
Whether you’re writing a fiction or nonfiction book, articles, blog posts, or any other compilation of words you could possibly think of, it is important to check yourself about how realistic your goal truly is. Surely, it is important to challenge yourself, but you have to make it realistic. For instance, challenging yourself to write a certain number of words per week, rather than telling yourself you’ll get the entire first draft of your book done in a single month!
1. Work on Your Goals
Work on your goals, don’t just let them sit there. You should not set a goal and expect it to simply happen just because you set it. You have to make it happen. To do this you may want to set aside specific times each week that you dedicate to the writing process. These moments should be distraction-free and should move you toward your goal at a good, steady pace. A great way to accomplish this would be to design a writing schedule or use a digital or printed calendar to keep yourself on track. You should be able to check your schedule on any given day and know exactly what you’re working toward, what you’re responsible for. It will feel great when you finish each particular task for each day.
2. Don’t Overestimate the Time and Effort You Need
Don’t overwork or overestimate the time it will take for you to reach your goals. Sure, you should be confident in your abilities as a writer, and work your hardest. However, you should not spread yourself too thin. Rather than setting a goal like “write 10,000 words per week” why not set a less intimidating goal like “write at least 1,000 words per day.” Using the calendar that I mentioned before can help you sort out these goals, and make sure that you aren’t setting too many goals at once. Remember that every day does not need to be an actual writing day, there are many other tasks that can be completed in relation to your writing. These could include character development in your novel, or research on a particular subject for your blog posts.
3. Set Different Goals for Different Parts of Your Writing Project
Set different levels of goals. Every goal does not need to be at the same level of urgency and difficulty. Your days could be made up of many small goals, a few medium goals, or even just one large goal that is to be focused on completely. Some may argue that it is all about the big idea goals; however, I have found that that will do nothing more than overwhelm me when I try to complete the goal I set. You could think of writing like following a recipe: each ingredient could be considered a small goal, each instruction a medium goal, and the large goal would be the ultimate outcome — a delicious treat!
4. Set Smaller Goals on the Way to the BIG One
Setting small goals is an important aspect of daily life, it is what keeps us driven, keeps us moving toward our biggest goals. Completing goals, both big and small, results in our greatest successes — and if completion of goals is what leads to success, then very clearly we must make our goals completable! By setting realistic goals, we are more likely to reach success, because they are less likely to back us into a corner of intimidation and procrastination.
5. Reward Yourself Along the Way to Achieving Your Goals
Reward your successes. A great way to make sure you keep your goals is to reward yourself! It may sound childish, but I’ve found that whenever I don’t want to do something, or whenever I am a bit hesitant to do something that I know I should do, I ensure myself that there will be a reward to follow my efforts. This could be a literal reward, such as your favorite food or a night out with friends. However, it could also just be the reward in knowing that if you meet your writing goals you will eventually finish your project — something that will feel amazing, maybe even more amazing than biting into a big slice of pie. Bite into a big slice of success!
Set Your Goals and Write That Thing!
Now, every time I am ready to write anything, I take a step back and remind myself that the article, post, or book is my biggest and final goal. I know that the writing process will take planning, time, effort, and smaller goal setting to meet the goal and complete the project. And I’m OK with that.
THIS Year, Set GOALS and HABITS, not Resolutions
Happy New Year! Wait! It’s now the middle of February! How are those resolutions you set at the beginning of January…medium.com
My 2020 Word of the Year: Reclamation
Reclaiming Your Life by Reclaiming Your Powermedium.com
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