Let’s Make a Plan

“…if you aim at nothing you will hit it every time.”

You’ve all heard this quote by Zig Ziglar, and I’ve used it in my blogs before.

Do we really want to leave ourselves open to whatever happens? Speaking for myself, I’d rather decide what I want to accomplish, figure out how to get it done, what I need for the journey, and when it will be completed.

Right now I have at least a dozen writing projects on my list of things to do. The problem is that I don’t have a measurable goal for accomplishing them. Random completion dates don’t quite cut it.

It’s good to have an idea, a list of things to do, but the how-to is the motivator. That’s what gets us moving toward actual accomplishment.

There are as many ways of organizing our writing and our time as there are people who care to consider the problem. The answer is to create a plan that works for you.

I love charts and graphs, but they can easily become a means of procrastination, a way of doodling instead of working. If we can keep our doodling to a minimum and use the charts and excel sheets to keep ourselves on track, then we will make progress.

My goal for today is to revisit my writing goals:

• arrange the projects in order of importance
• decide how to approach each project
• figure out how long each step will take
• come up with a completion date
• remember that it’s okay, even advisable, to revisit these goals and adjust as I go

As long as we keep moving forward, toward our goals, we will be successful.

Karen Lamb said:

“A year from now you may wish you had started today.”

So true. Let’s get going.

 

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Writing Goals for 2014

Participating in this blog hop—thanks to Ruth L. Snyder—is a great way to head into this new year. (Please click on Ruth’s name to access her site and all the other blog hoppers involved.) A new year always starts me re-thinking my purpose in this life and how I will manage the days and hours God has allotted to me.

I asked my brother what his main goal is for this year. He said, “To stay out of jail.” We laughed. Then we talked seriously about the absolute necessity of integrity throughout his accounting business, from the mailroom to his office, and how every decision reflects on him. Besides being a legal matter, it’s also a matter of ethical business practice.

Any discussion of goals will reflect back to mission statement. My brother asked me, “Why do you do what you do?” From my own perspective, I feel called to write. I have stories I want to communicate to readers in order to inspire, to motivate, to heal, to encourage, to entertain. I love to work with words and I want to be faithful to the call God has given me.

What are my goals for 2014? Integrity—absolutely. Passion for writing—yes. There are many elements to fit into what I want this year to look like. How do I blend these components? The word balance comes to mind.

Some of the elements I want to address this year are:

Production: I want to create a body of work that impacts prospective readers and this takes time and focus.  I would like to learn to write faster without sacrificing quality.

Organization: I need to produce results efficiently. There are plenty of options that help in this area, both on paper and on screen. I would like to check my lists and goals regularly, while still remaining flexible to new ideas and opportunities not on the list.

Promotion:  This is a game to some writers, an annoyance or even a perceived curse for many more. This past year my publisher has encouraged his group of authors to leap into the realm of social media to promote one another. In my case, I’ve seen this strategy work wonders with my readership and following. The idea of promoting you while also promoting me is a win-win situation, the Golden Rule of promotion. I would like to learn more about social media and use it more effectively for myself but also for the good of other authors.

Intentionality:  I want to keep my purpose in mind as I write, whether that’s blogging or fiction writing. In the past I have set my own deadlines, and have often been very forgiving of myself in the process. I would like to take my writing career more seriously and work more professionally, while still taking time for a meaningful personal life.

Specifically, my writing goals are to complete publication of my historical novel, which is coming out in installments; to finish writing the sequel; to write a new series with other authors; to grow my social media sites.

This year I aim to improve the quality of my work and to maintain balance in my life. I am a whole person and what I do in my writing career directly affects my personal life as well. I’m not too worried about going to jail, but I don’t want to miss the opportunities offered in these next twelve months.

Happy writing to you all.

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