Setting Goals

The New Year is here and it's time to make new writing goals.

When creating your goals, there are aspects you should consider.

Be specific. Instead of write a novel, break it down to write a chapter a week.

Your goals should be self-attainable. By making your goal to be published, you put the outcome in another person's hands. To reach the goal of publication, your true goal should be to do everything in your power to make this possible. Write more. Submit more.

Reality should also reflect in your goals. A beginner athlete would not set the goal of playing in the big leagues. There are many goals to be accomplished before you would reach for such heights. If you're a short story writer who has decided to try writing a novel, don't make the goal of writing a best-seller. This is not realistic, at least not yet.

Time should be considered an important factor. The woman raising three young children and working outside the home would be asking for failure if her goal is to write a novel in a month. In no way should your writing goals be made around your life, but there is only so much time in a day, adjust accordingly.

I spent much of the second part of last year, adjusting and re-evaluating my goals. Determined to make as much progress as I could, I jumped in head first. After about two months, I burnt myself up in the process. So make your goals, but don't take on so much that it leaves no chances to enjoy life.

If this is your first time setting goals in your writing, I suggest starting small. Make a plan for the week and see if it works out. If you planned too much, cut back a little. Shoot for a monthly goal with what you've learned from that first week. At the end of the month, look back and see if you accomplished everything you set out to finish.

Remember, baby steps are better than giant leaps that leave you flat on your face.

Have you set your goals for the week, month, or year? What are you waiting on?