As the New Year begins, it’s time to sit down and get ready for the new goals we want to accomplish! As a writer, it can be hard to narrow down what exactly you want to do and finish in this upcoming year but these goals can help put you on the right track. Whether it’s writing a book, editing, or even trying to publish your book, setting goals can be a great way to keep track of where you’re at.
- Set a Writing/Editing Goal per Day/Week/Month
I have found this to be most helpful when I was trying to finish writing my book. I set a goal every month and by doing this, I set a goal for myself every day regarding what I would finish. This helped me really keep myself accountable for where I should be every week — and if I missed a day, I knew exactly how many words or chapters I needed to do in order to reach that goal. This was great if I had a particularly amazing writing day that I went way over because the next day if I wasn’t feeling in the mood to write, I could just relax.
2. Create Achievable Goals
I know the New Year can be exciting because you have so many plans and goals you want to hit — but if you overwhelm yourself, you can find yourself falling short and not really accomplishing much. This is the time to really be honest with yourself and your schedule and figure out what you can actually achieve. For example, if you work full time and only have time to write at night, make a goal to write for 30 minutes every night. If you’re someone who does better with word counts, tell yourself to hit 500 words a day. By doing this every day or every week, you’re still hitting your goals and still growing into the writer you want to become.
3. Track Your Progress
You’re already way ahead of the person you were in the past when it comes to your writing — because compared to then, you now have an idea, an outline, a chapter, or even a whole book already written. No matter where you are in the process make sure to track your progress every day — whether it’s a chapter, a thousand words, or that you contacted three agents. Track what you’ve done and be proud of the progress you’ve made.
4. Motivate Yourself
There are going to be days where you are not going to want to write and you just want to chill out. But these are the moments you need to have a motivational backup, something that really puts you in the mood to write and keep you on track to achieveyour goals. For some people, that’s having a Pinterest board about their book, a playlist that reminds you of your story and characters, or even how the book will makes you and your future readers feel. Listening to that playlist or looking at that Pinterest board can be a great way to get out of your funk and get you back to writing.
5. Have a Reward System
Having a reward system can be so effective and has helped me finish many books in the past — because I know if I complete that chapter or get to 10,000 words, I’ll get takeout for dinner or a Starbucks treat. A reward can be as small as binge watching your favorite TV show. But a reward system puts you in the mindset that by doing these tasks you get a little treat for yourself, which makes you want to finish even more.
