I'm Floundering With My 2023 Goals, But There's Still Time To Get Back On Track

 It's hard to believe that we are almost done with January 2023. Wasn't it just New Year's Day?

Well if you're like me, you had some heartfelt goals for 2023 - especially as it relates to writing. Are you also like me and floundering just a bit in these opening weeks of the new year?

Sure. It's ok to face up to it. It's still early, though. More than enough time to get back on track. One of my goals was to write a first draft of a short story each month - 12 stories by the end of the year.

So.... I still have almost two weeks to flesh out my story for January.

And here is the idea I have been toying with since about mid-December: a middle-aged cook with literary aspirations tries to recreate one of his grandmother's recipes one day at work while trying to make sense of his most-recent failed relationship.

At least that's what I have so far. I'm neurotic to a fault. I have jotted down a good amount of notes, even toyed with a few variations for a first line. But, I've been stuck on a detail: my protagonist's name.

Today was my day off at work. A day off means sleeping in a little, then errands: checking my post office box and visiting the book store. Two of my magazines were in my box: The Writer and Entrepreneur.

I bought eight books at the book store. I can't help it. Today's haul: pigeon feathers and other stories, by John Updike; Independence Day, by Richard Ford; Babbit, by Sinclair Lewis; Saint Maybe, by Anne Tyler; My Heart Laid Bare, by Joyce Carol Oates; The Rag and Bone Shop of the Heart, Poems for Men, Robert Bly, James Hillman and Michael Meade, editors; Write Away, One Novelist's Approach to Fiction and the Writing Life, by Elizabeth George; and 140 Characters, a Style Guide for the short Form, by Dom Sagolla.

If you want to be a writer, you must read and read and read some more. Can't say that enough. It helps that I love to read. 

Quote Of The Day: The Surefire Way To Never Meet Your Goals

This one is attributed to hockey legend Wayne Gretzky:

You miss 100 percent of the shots you don't take.

This is so true. I have been setting daily, weekly, monthly goals for myself in 2018. I've met some; failed at others. But I'm still shooting.

You have to try, like Gretzky says, because if you don't, you're guaranteed to miss.

OMG! Is 2017 Actually Coming To An End? You Didn't Meet Your Writing Goals Did You?

It seems like yesterday was January 1st, 2017. 

Now January 1st, 2018 is upon us. OMG!

I can say this much about 2017... I failed miserably with my writing goals. Maybe... God forbid... you're like me... I spent day after day saying, "Tomorrow... I'll have time tomorrow..."

Ha! tomorrow is here. I wrote some notes... filled a few pages in a spiral notebook. But, didn't finish that novel.

Also... If you are an aspiring writer... you MUST READ! If you write poetry... Read poetry. If you write short stories... Read short stories, etc.

I read some. I wrote some... But, I did neither in the volume I should have as an aspiring writer. Let's not sugar coat it or go all snowflake and blame someone else for my poor decisions. 

I blew it. I didn't work on my craft enough to actually call it a craft. A truism: you can't call yourself a writer if you don't actually WRITE!

I know... tough love. But, I'm a father of five. I'm a tough love kind of guy because I know it pays dividends. 

Moving forward, what does that mean??? First of all, after correcting one of my children, doling out whatever punishments were necessary, then it'd be time for restoring harmony. 

What does that mean? You can rebuke yourself for falling short. Fine. Then... a restorative measure is necessary. Restore the creative process. Otherwise how can you move forward?

Forgive yourself for blowing it. Then... GET OVER IT. Get back to writing.

Set new resolutions. Maybe this time scale them back a bit and make them more realistic... or shoot for the moon, but, bring in a friend to keep you accountable.

Bottom line: Get back on the horse. Write. Start with one word. Then two; then 20; then 100... Keep going.

2017 may be at an end. You may not have accomplished what you wanted. .. But, 2018 is around the corner. Now's your time. Make it happen this year.

You can do it.

Setting Successful Writing Goals By Focusing On Other Areas of Life

This is the third part of  a four-part series on Setting Successful Writing Goals. And, well, this part involves setting goals in other areas of your life outside of your writing. Did you miss the other two parts? Glance back at Part One; check out Part Two. Now that we're all caught up... You must not ignore other areas of your life when setting goals. If you do, your writing can eventually suffer.

Here's why...

You are more than your writing. You may be a son, daughter, father, mother, husband, wife, etc. I'll say it again: You must not ignore the other areas of your life.



Source: MicroSoft Office Images

 "People who set goals in only one area of life - such as their career - may find that their personal growth becomes one-sided." - From Master Student To Master Employee

As much as I need to set goals for my writing, I can't neglect setting goals in my family life, social life and spiritual life. So, pay attention to these other areas. Maybe you can think of more. Good. If you are like me, accomplishing goals in other areas will help you write.

For example, I may have a specific goal to write 5,000 words of a short story on a Saturday. Great. But, what if I also know my wife wants to go out on a date? If I only focus on the writing goal and ignore my wife's needs, then my home will not be a happy place (to put it mildly). Neglect your marriage one too many times, and, well... you run the risk of ending up alone.

So, to meet my writing goal as well as my goal of maintaining a happy marriage, I must get creative. What that may mean is I wake up earlier or stay up later (or both) to write. I also set up a baby sitter and take my wife out on a dinner date. If that doesn't work, then a lunch date. Other appointments preventing you? Then it's a coffee date. Whatever it takes. C'mon! You're a writer. Be creative.

Now, I will do this because my relationship with my wife is important to me. I can not sacrifice my marriage for my writing. At least for me, I need to have someone there by my side to celebrate my writing success.

Another area of life could involve physical fitness. I mention this, because it is an area I am trying to focus more attention on. My goal is to lose 25 pounds. Maybe I will have to cut into my morning routine to include an hour for a jog or bike ride. So be it. I will feel better about myself if I can lose the weight. If I feel better (self-esteem), then that positivity will transfer to my writing.

Win-win situation.

So, you must set specific writing goals. You must set them in several time frames (long-term, mid-term, short-term). But you also must set goals in other areas of your life. Do it to be a better writer. If for no other reason than this: paying attention to other areas of life will add to your experiences, which can add depth to your writing.

NEXT ARTICLE IN THE SERIES:
AUGUST 22, 2011: PART 4 IN THE SERIES - REFLECTING ON YOUR GOALS

New Article Series on Setting Writing Goals

Over the past several weeks, I have spent many hours on my Mall Demon Urban Fantasy Short Story Series. Parts One and Two are already online at Wattpad for your reading pleasure.

The first two parts never would have seen the light of day if I had not set specific goals to get them published online. In fact, the Mall Demon stories might have ended up where many of my other fiction projects have through the years: nowhere but a fantasy in my head.

Can you relate? I'm sure some of you can. Truth be told, setting goals is fairly easy. Setting meaningful, specific goals is harder. Following through until the goals are met is even tougher. 

Tough, but not impossible. That's the good news for beginning writers. I will share the techniques I have learned and used to write the Mall Demon series and thousands of newspaper articles and news blog posts over the past 15 years. And so we can get it out of the way now, I am sharing this information at no cost to you. That's right. No charge. Free. Well, you will need to spend your time to read the articles and set your own goals.

Again, the first step is to set specific goals. As beginning writers, we must avoid vague goals. We need concrete goals. So, this first step is where my article series on Setting Successful Writing Goals will begin. 

Over the month of August, I will outline the four parts to Setting Successful Writing Goals. The four parts are as follows:

• Make specific writing goals
• Plan writing goals in three time categories
• Include goals in areas of your life (outside of writing)
• Reflect often on your goals 

As I explain the strategy, you may recognize parts of it. Truth is I adapted it from general goal setting strategies I have taught to college students. More on all the specifics later. So, if you are serious about setting successful writing goals, be sure to read my article series beginning in August.

AUGUST 1ST, 2011: PART 1 IN THE SERIES - MAKING SPECIFIC WRITING GOALS