Just a reminder, to be organized and productive, you must set goals that you can achieve, given your time constraints. You all have lavish ideas of what you would like to achieve in your writing career. But is it realistic? In other words, given all your time restrictions, is it realistic to plan to write four novels within a year? Probably not. However, you can probably achieve one or two depending on how many other obligations you have outside of work.
Unrealistic goals seem much easier to set. They are usually goals that you would like to achieve and that you say you can achieve without assessment. In order to be most successful, you must set SMART goals. This is an acronym for setting super smart goals.
Here are the steps and what they mean.
S stands for Specific
Don’t try to set vague goals. People often say that they want to lose weight, but what does that mean? At what point do you need to complete your goal? The same holds with a goal such as I want to write every day. How many minutes do you plan to write every day? What do you want to complete within a week, month, or quarter? Therefore, you need to narrow down your goal and make it more specific by asking yourself “W” questions such as: Who, what, which, why, where and when.
M stands for Measurable
If your goal cannot be measured, it cannot be done. To achieve your goals, you need to establish metrics that make sense to you such as that you will average two hours of writing on Saturday and Sunday. Therefore, to set a measurable goal, ask yourself “How many or how much?” “How will I know when I’ve completed the goal?” “What metrics should I use?”
A stands for Attainable
If you set a goal that requires a mammoth effort to achieve from the start, then failure is assured. For instance, you could say, “I will write for an hour every evening for a month.” That is not an attainable goal unless you have been writing for a long time and writing has become a habit for you. Begin instead by setting attainable goals such as “I will write for 30 minutes, 3 to 4 days a week. Then as you complete this goal, work to improve on it.
R stands for Realistic
Set goals that you feel passionately about and that will hold your focus and attention for the duration. For example, if you struggle with time management, it’s unrealistic to set a goal to write every day. When setting realistic goals, do some soul-searching and don’t be afraid to relinquish goals that aren’t relevant to your interests and where you want to go.
T stands for Time-Bound
Make sure that there is a time-oriented focus to your goals. Do not set a goal that has no set time frame for accomplishment. Your time frames must make sense and be realistic. Most people underestimate how long it will take them to complete a task. Give yourself a little more time than you think you’ll need to be sure you will complete your goal.
By setting realistic goals, you will be most likely organized and successful in completing your goals. This is an important tool for a working writer.
Try it!
Irene Roth
Unrealistic goals seem much easier to set. They are usually goals that you would like to achieve and that you say you can achieve without assessment. In order to be most successful, you must set SMART goals. This is an acronym for setting super smart goals.
Here are the steps and what they mean.
S stands for Specific
Don’t try to set vague goals. People often say that they want to lose weight, but what does that mean? At what point do you need to complete your goal? The same holds with a goal such as I want to write every day. How many minutes do you plan to write every day? What do you want to complete within a week, month, or quarter? Therefore, you need to narrow down your goal and make it more specific by asking yourself “W” questions such as: Who, what, which, why, where and when.
M stands for Measurable
If your goal cannot be measured, it cannot be done. To achieve your goals, you need to establish metrics that make sense to you such as that you will average two hours of writing on Saturday and Sunday. Therefore, to set a measurable goal, ask yourself “How many or how much?” “How will I know when I’ve completed the goal?” “What metrics should I use?”
A stands for Attainable
If you set a goal that requires a mammoth effort to achieve from the start, then failure is assured. For instance, you could say, “I will write for an hour every evening for a month.” That is not an attainable goal unless you have been writing for a long time and writing has become a habit for you. Begin instead by setting attainable goals such as “I will write for 30 minutes, 3 to 4 days a week. Then as you complete this goal, work to improve on it.
R stands for Realistic
Set goals that you feel passionately about and that will hold your focus and attention for the duration. For example, if you struggle with time management, it’s unrealistic to set a goal to write every day. When setting realistic goals, do some soul-searching and don’t be afraid to relinquish goals that aren’t relevant to your interests and where you want to go.
T stands for Time-Bound
Make sure that there is a time-oriented focus to your goals. Do not set a goal that has no set time frame for accomplishment. Your time frames must make sense and be realistic. Most people underestimate how long it will take them to complete a task. Give yourself a little more time than you think you’ll need to be sure you will complete your goal.
By setting realistic goals, you will be most likely organized and successful in completing your goals. This is an important tool for a working writer.
Try it!
Irene Roth
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