Dear Goal Writer

Dear Goal Writer,

Many writers I know set goals for themselves and are constantly disappointed when they don’t meet those goals. They even beat themselves down for not coming near their goals.

It’s true that we are our own worst critics, and that we push ourselves more than anyone else. Sometimes this can be good as it’s a form of determination. Other times it’s not. When you’re knocking yourself down for not coming close to a goal, instead of seeing the things you did accomplish and congratulating yourself for them, then it’s a form of self-deprecation.

If you set goals for yourself but struggle to meet them, try this:

1. Set daily, weekly, and monthly goals.

Setting monthly goals can help us reach our yearly goal.

Setting weekly goals can help us get to that monthly goal.

And setting daily goals can help us complete our weekly goal.

Example: Say you want to finish the first draft of a book in a year. A monthly goal could be to write two chapters in your WIP (24 chapters is pretty good for a novel). The weekly goal could be to write ten pages. And a daily goal could be 1,000 words.

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2. Set smaller goals.

I tell writers all the time to set goals that are more attainable. Big goals can be overwhelming. Smaller goals are easily achieved and are stepping stones to those bigger goals. Just look at the examples above on how to break down a bigger goal.

If you notice you can easily complete a small goal (such us tweeting a poem a day) then make only small goals.

Example: If you want to get an agent. Set a goal of sending out 2-3 queries a week. That’s a small goal and a step to getting an agent.

3. Don’t set ANY goals.

Some people do far better, and can accomplish a lot more, without any goals. A goal can paralyze some people and force them into procrastination. If you have a dream in mind, you’ll automatically have goals and can work toward them without setting them in stone. Sometimes setting them in stone, having them weigh on you, seeing them on a post-it next to your computer every day, can have the opposite intended result. So why not see how you do without any goals dragging you down?

QUESTIONS: Do you struggle to meet goals? If you don't, do you have tips that help you for those who do struggle?

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Dear Un-inspired Writer

Dear Blocked Writer

Dear Degree-less Writer

Dear Young Writer

Dear Aspiring Author

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Dear Scrambling Writer
Dear Writer Not Writing

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Author of Hurricane Crimes, 30 Seconds, Ghost of Death, and Witch of Death. Blogger. Reader. Auntie. Vegetarian. Cat Lover.

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