It’s that time of year again. That time when we evaluate where we want our lives to go in this shiny new year.
I won’t lie. Last year all of my goals revolved around my health. I had my final chemo treatment in January of 2022, and I was still facing 3 surgeries and 6 more months of immunotherapy. Writing and publishing and other professional goals weren’t even on my radar.
But all that’s done for this year.
This year it’s time to get my writing life back on track.
So, I’m setting my goals for this year, and I encourage you to do the same.
Personally, I like to break my goals up into doable bits so they won’t become overwhelming. This year I’m setting 2 daily, 2 weekly, and 2 monthly goals for my writing. They are:
Daily
Walk 1 mile everyday
Drink more water everyday
(I know these don’t look like writing goals, but they are mental/physical health goals. And if I’ve learned anything in the last 18 months, it’s that your writing suffers when your mental or physical health suffers.)
Weekly
Write 3500 words
Read 2 fiction books
(Some people swear by daily writing, but I personally prefer to set weekly goals instead. That way if I miss a day, I can still catch up without feeling guilty.)
Monthly
Develop 1 writing/editing workshop
Read 1 craft book
(We should never stop developing and improving our writing craft or sharing what we’ve learned with others.)
And then, as sort of a stretch goal, I hope to release 2 new fiction books and re-release 2 backlist titles this year.
Now, as you go to set your own goals, remember to make them realistic and attainable. Have that pie in the sky goal, but also have ones you know you can accomplish.
And if you want, share your goals here or in our Facebook Group so we can cheer each other on (and hold each other accountable).
Let’s have an amazing year of writing!
