The beginning of the New Year can be a good time to think about your writing and what you want to accomplish from it. New Year resolutions can help you achieve your goals. I am not fond of the word resolution in this sense though.
Resolution is a firm decision to do or not to do something. A decision is fine but will it really bring success? I can decide to write every day but does it really help me understand what I am trying to accomplish and why?
I prefer the word goal. Goal is the end toward which effort is directed. Resolution is a thought, were goal is an action, an effort. And anyway, if you make a goal for yourself, haven’t you already decided to do or not to do something? So let’s talk about goals.
First off goals need to be specific. A goal of writing every day is not only a general statement but it has no true meaning for you. The motivational backing of the statement is not there to help you understand why you write.
I believe in the “WHY” behind everything. If you understand the why behind what you want to do then success is easier to attain. Purpose is derived from knowing why. Knowing the purpose and why you are writing is the key to making specific goals which in turn ups your chance of achieving them.
Plus knowing “WHY” drives your passion and it is that passion that puts a writer in a seat and makes them write.
Say you want to write a novel. Why? To be published? To be a bestselling author? To be rich? Or is it the feeling of accomplishment of completing such a task? Or you have something to say and a book is the best medium for this message, published or not?
You supply your own why. The accomplishment of writing a novel appeals to me. I forget who the author is but she tattooed her first book’s word count on her wrist. She looks at it knowing that since she did it once, she can do it again.
Once you have your “why”, now you have to commit to it and let your passion drive you toward its end. Here is where you need to break down your goal of writing a book into small specific pieces that not only will help accomplish the big goal but give you a real sense of accomplishment along the way. You don’t run a marathon by going to the finish line first, you have to pass mile one, then two, and so on.
Understand you are not going to meet every specific goal along the way. Say you have a daily word count. Some days you will fall short and other days exceed. Set weekly, monthly, and quarterly goals. These are better indications of your progress. Don’t let a missed daily word count be an excuse to quit.
There are so many other specific goals you can set for yourself in writing a book. Persistent and focus will help you along the way knowing you will need to adjust things as you go. Really search for the path along your journey that works for you, whether it has been traveled before or not. Remember you will fail but if you know the “why” you are doing this, then you will get right back up and proceed forward.
Good luck this year and I hope for success for everyone.
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