How to Set Smarter Writing Goals in 2024
I hope you had a wonderful holiday season that afforded you the chance to fill your cup, dream your dreams, and left you feeling fired up for the next 12 new chapters and 365 new opportunities for growth!
So let’s chat about our dreams for a second, shall we?
Dreams are fun! Right?
We imagine where we will be and how we will act, look, and feel once we live them. We dream of finishing novels, publishing, and readers enjoying what we create. Personally, I dream of writing stories that hit people in the heart and make them realize they are not alone.
These dreams make us smile.
But as Mel Robbins says, “Dreams are easy. Goals are hard because they require a tremendous amount of change to achieve them.”
There's a huge gap between the dream of holding your published novel in your hands and actually writing it.
And let's not sugarcoat it. What lies within the gap are years of persistent effort, learning all the things you don’t know, facing self-doubt, and wrestling with imposter syndrome.
When we look at it that way it feels bleak, doesn't it? If it's going to be like that, then why bother?
Because our stories and voices matter.
The joy we cultivate from expressing and sharing the ideas and stories inside us creates a ripple effect in the world. Think of every book you've read and loved. Think of every person who has ever touched your soul and inspired your writer's journey. Where would you be if they had given up on their dream? If they decided that their goals weren't worth pursuing.
I think of all those who inspire me when the changes I need to make feel too big and too hard, and then I remember something KEY:
I don't have to change everything at once. And neither do you.
I want you to remember that as you look to 2024!
Writing progress is made in inches, not miles.
You need to take small steps in the direction of your dreams consistently. That is how we accomplish our goals. That is how we affect change in ourselves and the world.
2024 Goal-Setting Exercise
To kick the new year off on the right foot, I have a goal-setting exercise for you, but first, I want you to take a moment and reflect on everything you are proud of for 2023, writing-related or not.
Because progress (no matter how small) matters. We cannot build upon the accomplishments we don’t acknowledge!
First Step:
Ask yourself about your 2023 goals and achievements.
What were your writing goals in 2023?
Did you meet them?
When you reflect on them, do you feel they were reasonable?
If you did meet them, was it worth the cost? Would you do anything differently? What did you learn?
If you didn't meet your goals, what got in the way? Was the goal the problem, or was it the method to achieve the goal that was the hang-up?
Next Step:
Write down three to five writing goals for 2024.
Given what worked and didn't work last year, what do you need to change to meet your 2024 goals?
What are you willing to change?
What do you want to be brave enough to do this year?
Remember, if nothing changes, then nothing changes.
Final Step:
Build in accountability: Share your goals with a trusted person, or email me at stacy@writeitscared.co! Ask that person to check in with you at the end of the first quarter to keep you on track, and if you share with me, you’d better believe I’ll be checking back in!
