Current Project: Birthday parties
Status: One organized, two more to plan
Can you take one more blog about goals? I read Lisa's blog yesterday and purposefully didn't comment. I'm rotten on goals. I don't like to set them. When I do set them and fail, I beat myself black and blue. And it's even worse if I've stated them in public and failed, so I usually keep them to myself.
But I'm always inspired when I read about how people set their goals. I admire them, envious of the discipline they have in their lives. I'm impressed by Lisa and everyone else who shared their goals. Wow. 26 goals! I love to hear about the goal setting process from all types of writers. Here's a list I've compiled that many good goal setters seem to have in common.
Take an entire day to plan your goals for the year. Don't spend five minutes jotting down a list.
Record your goals and place them somewhere you'll see them every day.
Study them monthly and consider your progress.
Goals should be measurable. Use specific numbers--five pages a day, not write more pages.
Get a goalie to be accountable to.
As I typed that last line, I slapped my forehead. We already do this to a degree for each other. The Saturday check in is our opportunity to report our goals and progress. What a great group! There's lots of back patting and sincere encouragement whether we've hit our goals or slacked off. Slacked off and admitted it, that is. I'm probably not the only one who avoided the check in when their week fell to pieces.
This is the predictable part of the blog where I post my goals, right? Not going to happen. I'm going to take this advice and spend a day seriously pondering what I want to achieve in the next 12 months. I might even mention a few on the next check in.
I won't ask about your goals, but I would love to hear any techniques you use to achieve those goals.
Happy Release Day, Elisabeth!
7 comments:
I want to sell a couple of books this year. To reach this goal, I will finish the book I'm working on in a timely manner (please, oh, please) and open my mind for exciting ideas to take root in the old subconscious.
In a sense I do this open mind thing all the time. I believe every writer does) but perhaps it's like being an avid hunter and walking through the woods when game is out of season. You're aware of the animals, you're taking notes about location, location, location, but you aren't doing anything else about it. Then hunting season opens (It's time to plot new book) and everything changes, now no critter is safe from you and your trusty arrow (Run Bambi!)
The "tricks" you learned about setting goals sound good to me. I like the idea of thinking about what you hope to accomplish as opposed to dwelling on perceived faults. No wonder we so often despair as we struggle to change our personalities as well as our habits. It seems self punitive to me.
Good luck on your goals, Kendra, whatever they be.
Goals- I've never been one to sit down and make a list, I just know where I want to be and want I need to do to get there and forge forward.
I like the Saturday check in because it not only makes me accountable to myself but to others.
And Kendra, I know all about beating yourself up. I did that over this last WIP I wanted done last month, but yeah- I finally finished this month.
I'm sure there will be several blogs about goals this week. We always seem to reflect on the past year and what we ant to accomplish in the coming year curing this calendar season.
Ah, Kendra! What do you do for your children if they "fail" at something? Give them a hug and reassurance and send them back to try again? Be as gentle with yourself as you are with those beautiful children!
You'll hear more from me about goals on Thursday, so I'll just send you (((HUGS))) for now.
Enjoy those birthday parties!
I like the hunting analogy, Alice. I know you'll sell several books this year!
I usually feel the same way about listing goals as you do, Paty. It's the same with our household budget. We don't set dollar amounts for anything, we just keep everything under control and strive to cut corners where we can. I guess with writing, I figured I'd do the best I could and that's where I'd end up. Did that make sense?
You're right, Genene. I'm much easier on my kids than on myself. I lived in my perfect older sister's shadow for too many years and I know failed to meet a number of my parent's expectations in school. This is probably one of the reasons I'm so hard on myself and I don't want my kids to feel the way I did.
You made perfect sense. ;)
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