Fill the First Blank Page With Writing Goals

 

It's the fifth day of January 2021, and blank pages are calling out to writers, both you and me. The photo today shows a clean slate surrounded by rose petals. Can you imagine the lovely scent? What should you put on this blank page and the others behind it? 

The early part of a new year is always a good time to set some goals in your writing life. I can hear a few of you saying 'I did that last year and the year before, why bother doing it all over again?' Even if you set the same, or many of the same goals, each year, it's like having a road sign to guide you to wherever you're headed. 

And yes, some of the goals will be the same each January, but there might be others that you can add this year. Maybe you've never written a novel and you'd like to give it a try this year. A new goal. Or perhaps you've never been very good at submitting your work for possible publication. Doing better at submitting what you write could be another new goal.

Here's a list of possible goals you might set:

1. Set a time to write and stick to it
2. Use writing time wisely
3. Write something in a new genre
4. Get published 
5. Submit at least one piece of writing a month
6. Join a critique group
7. Go to a writers' conference
8. Read one book a month about writing
9. Stay positive about writing life
10. Do a better job of editing and revising
11. Study markets
12. A set number of words each day, week, or month

My list is only a partial one. You can probably find others that suit your individual needs. I've listed a dozen goals. Is that too many? Not enough? 

When setting goals, you want to be realistic. Writing a lengthy list that sounds wonderful but you will not accomplish is a waste of time. How about selecting three from my list, or three of the ones you think of? While twelve may seem overwhelming, three seem doable. Put your list somewhere visible to you on a daily basis. That might help you stay on track. 

If you're not good at achieving goals, why not try two or even one for this year? Then work towards it diligently. 

What happens if you set a list of goals but don't accomplish them by the end of the year? No one but you is going to know your goals unless you choose to share them. If you don't meet the goal, the world will not collapse. A goal is merely something you hope to achieve, something to aim for, and something to keep in mind as you write throughout 2021. 

You'll probably see a lot of articles this month on goal setting for writers. If there are so many, doesn't that make it clear that having one or more writing goals is of some importance? 

Make It Goals, Not Resolutions

It's the last day of the year, and millions of people will make a list of New Year's Resolutions. Their intent is perfectly fine, but before a full month is gone, most resolutions are broken. They lay by the side of the road getting trampled and torn until they fly away on a winter wind. They'll never be seen again.

I prefer setting goals rather than making resolutions. Goals are something we can work toward a little at a time all through 2011. Goals are almost always positive whereas resolutions don't always come under that category.

You don't need to make a list of 25 goals for this year. Try one or two or even three, but keep the number achievable. Anyone who creates a lengthy list of goals is going to feel overwhelmed before they even begin. Whether the goals are about your personal world or your writing world, you won't want to make the goals so difficult to reach that you feel defeated before you get started. There are many steps in every stairway. Take your goals as you do the steps--one at a time.

When the first of each new month arrives, make a quick assessment of those goals. What did you do the previous month toward each one? Then ask yourself what you would like to do, or need to do, in the new month. It's better to do this monthly than wait until next December 31st and ask yourself if your goal(s) was achieved.

Scratch the resolutions this year. Make it goals instead.

Happy New Year to all!.