I have just read a post over at Adventures in Full Time Writing by Kim Koning called Time Saving Steps for your WIP and it got me to thinking about my own writing goals.
I am a big supporter (and active participant) in Goals, and I have a regular post here keeping everyone updated with my writing goals.
I am also part of a small writers group where I live, we found each other through KiwiWriters and they are all amazed at how much writing I do (or the fact that I am disciplined enough to write 50k in a month), but it is simple – here is how: Writing down your goals and keeping to them.
But the biggest part of the goals, is being accountable. And this was part of Kim’s blog that really struck a chord with me. I have printed out my goals and they are floating around here somewhere, but I don’t know where, so I have decided to revise my goals and then make myself even more accountable than just giving everyone a monthly update.
I will email a copy of my goals through to my writing group (and a couple of other friends) and give one to a non writing friend.
Why are goals important? They give you a focus. For me, writing is a passion, and I love it, but I also need focus. Sometimes writing isn’t enough to keep me from procrastinating by being on twitter, facebook, kiwiwriters, emailing friends, researching useless information, looking for new writing programs, etc etc. Instead, if I have a goal, I have something to work towards, bit like 50k in a month. I have to achieve at least 1666 words a day to make the limit by the end of the month. If I exceed it, that is great.
The other reason I like goals is you achieve things. At the end of the year, I will have three novels, (I already have one and a half!) I will also have three edited novels (I currently have two undergoing the editing process) and I have a sense of accomplishment, even to be doing something that is on my goal list.
I love goals because they are motivating. If I am running low on energy, or under the weather, I know that I have at least five projects that I could work on. That sounds like a lot, but they are all projects that I enjoy working on, otherwise they wouldn’t be WIP!
Another reason that my goals work, is because I am accountable. Because I blog about my goals on a monthly basis. But I realise now that I need to be more accountable. Just publishing up here once a month, I can change them to suit my needs, but having to justify myself to others will make me more aware of my accomplishments and revision of my goals can be more understood.
I will follow up this post with an updated list of my goals, because that will be my next mission this morning… if it doesn’t snow!
