“There is no reason not to follow your heart.” Steve Jobs
January… another year, another set of writing goals. Or have you given up on the idea, having had too many of them fall by the wayside, fail to work out as planned or be sideswiped by life events?
It’s happened to all of us. Flush with the enthusiasm that a new year brings, we list our aims, intentions and objectives. And maybe, for the first few days, weeks or even months, we stick with the plan. And then--stuff happens. Events happen. Life happens. And before you know it, our resolutions are shoved aside, to be addressed “some day.” The manuscript is left languishing in a drawer or on our hard drive. Our marketing plan stalls after the first few calls or emails. The classes we were going to attend (or teach ourselves) are postponed.
If this sounds familiar, then I suggest a new strategy. Instead of trying to fulfill all your goals at one fell swoop, pick 12, one for each month. Then, at the beginning of each month, select one on which to focus. Maybe January is your marketing month, so you put all your energy into making connections with new clients, editors, publishers or agents. February, the month of love, is the time when you will give a set amount of time and attention to writing for the joy and pleasure of it.
You get the picture. By choosing just one goal per month, you are still able to handle the rest of what is happening in your life, and, if that one doesn’t turn out the way you planned, you know that the next month your focus will be on another one, giving you a new chance to hit the jackpot.
My goals this year are to start a writing group, finish Reinventing Rita, find an agent and/or publisher for Finding Fran, publish my collection of short stories as an e-book, ramp up my marketing for The Gifts of Change (which has recently been released in an Indian edition) and seek out more corporate clients. Not quite twelve but being an inveterate list-maker, I am sure I can come up with more by the end of the month.
So what are your writing goals for 2012?
2 comments:
I like the idea of a one for each month resolution. I think that could work I love using a holiday of the month as a theme. I definitely want to write something love-ly. I need it. Thanks for sharing!
Let me know how it goes! When it comes to resolutions, sometimes less is more!
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