How to Set Writing Goals for the New Year (& Actually Meet Them!)
It’s December again! ‘Tis the season of holiday cheer & reflection. The collective energy to look back on where we were a year ago compared to now is enticing, and the new year swiftly approaching with a new opportunity to make moves toward where we want to be is exciting! The air of a fresh start is crisp & bold & we’re all taking deep breaths. And if writing has anything to do with the goals & resolutions on your list for the fresh new year to come, this post is for you. Let’s discuss how to set & meet goals for your writing in 2022!
Quick Update
This year has been all over the place lol. In both good and bad ways, and even the bad ways brought about good things so I really cannot complain. One of the greatest things to come from 2021 is how consistent I became with my blog. I really love the feedback I receive from sharing tips and tricks on writing and giving creatives a place to visit for encouragement. It's still small right now, but I'm seeing growth in this platform and progress in the way I'm building it from scratch and that is a huge blessing. I want to give thanks to anyone who has taken the time to read, comment on, and/or share any of my posts this year. Anyone who has clicked and made a purchase through an affiliate link, and anyone who even visits the site in silence (I see the views!). I hope you are receiving what you come here for plus more, and I cannot wait to deliver more content, guides, tools, etc. next year! Happy New Year!
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission if you make a purchase through a link! This helps me provide more content for you, & pay my bills.*
Setting Writing Goals for the New Year (& How to Meet Them!)
It doesn't matter whether you are a seasoned writer, aspiring, published, just starting out, whatever... There are three things you need to do when setting the goals for your craft for the upcoming year:
Dream HUGE
Plan Smart
Take Action (feat. Consistency)
Now, these three things can honestly be applied to goal-setting for anyone. But, this blog is tailored to creatives and I'm a writer so we all know who gets special treatment around here.
Dream HUGE
Don't shy away from the goals that scare you. The best way to set and meet goals for your writing is to aim for the most beautiful visions that seem so unattainable, you want to convince yourself that they are so you're not forced to try and end up disappointing yourself. That's why I'm here - to tell you that you may not believe it can happen right now, but it absolutely can.
So write down every big, scary goal that comes to mind for your writing. If it has come to your mind, you can bring it to fruition. It didn't choose you for nothing and you are more than capable. The thought is a seed and it has been planted in you, so don't feed it and yourself with doubt. Don't write it off before you even give yourself a chance. You're worthy of making your wildest dreams come true, especially when it comes to something you love to do.
It's all about perspective. So, let me tell you how the biggest, scariest goals become more inviting.
Plan Smart
Say your big goal for the upcoming year is to write a book. You may not want to tackle that straight away by grabbing your laptop/paper/pen and getting straight into writing (or maybe you do, more power to you and good luck, you're a trooper!) - you likely want to plan out your moves. Break the intimidating goal of writing an entire book down into less intimidating actions you can take regularly that will ultimately get you to that outcome. And be sure to assign deadlines.
Perhaps you want to give yourself a month to get inspired and brainstorm ideas. Then a couple weeks to narrow down to one idea for the book that you like the best and want to move forward with, then another couple weeks to create an outline (if you're that type of writer, like me), and so on.
Breaking the huge goal into smaller action items shifts your perspective. You see the small steps you can take every day and every week and the progress that comes with crossing off every item. You can visually see the less intimidating path these steps create for you, inching you closer and closer to that huge goal that seemed so far and unattainable at first.
Related Post: Quick Guide: Staying Organized While Writing Your Novel (Free Checklist!)
Take Action (feat. Consistency)
When you set and meet goals for your writing, the greatest piece is taking action and remaining consistent.
You set these goals for a reason. You want to write that book, or whatever the vision may be, for a reason. It would also be beneficial to keep that reason posted somewhere for you to easily see so you literally and figuratively do not lose sight of it. Stick to your plan, stick to your deadlines. When and if obstacles appear, don't change the goals. Just change the plan and get back to it.
Related Post: 3 Ways to Stay Motivated While Working on Creative Projects
Stay firm in where you want to be when December 2022 rolls around. Even if the goal is pushed back a bit, you still want to be able to look back and see how consistent you remained and how far you still managed to take yourself. Don't cheat yourself out of the life you want by giving up or losing momentum. Keep every promise to yourself by keeping the course. You'll be so thankful to yourself when you are exactly who and where you said you wanted to be.
What are some of your best keys to setting goals and meeting them? Share in a comment! Happy New Year, my loves. Talk to you soon. xo
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