Tag: goal setting

What is your writing goal for today?

Posted on by Vicki Sweets
Instagram: vickisweetsbooks

Is it determined by time? Is it determined by word count? Are you trying to do a little more than yesterday – or more than last week? Are you keeping track of a larger goal to reach by a later point?

No matter how you break down your goals, it’s good to have a predetermined point to reach to tell yourself, “I did it!” Goal setting can become daunting – especially during the first few weeks of the year – but when you set small, attainable goals, it can be such a rewarding feeling to meet them.

What do I do?

What do I do? I use my Sundays to set a weekly goal (usually my weekly goals are pretty consistent because I break down my year goal into months, then weeks), and then I adjust my goal for the day each morning to make that weekly goal attainable by the end of the week. I also try to reach that weekly goal ahead of time, so I’ll have less work at the end of the week when I want to relax.

At least, that’s what I usually do. If I’m completely honest, the beginning of this year has been a whirlwind so far, and some nights feel like I’m working backwards with how sluggish my brain has felt. This week, I felt like I finally had a break through and have gotten back into my regular flow of writing. Hurray!

So, what was different?

I usually determine my writing goals by setting a specific word count, or if I’m editing, I’ll set a number of pages, chapters, or sections.

This week, I told myself I was going to work on things for at least an hour each night. Having a stopping point that was determined differently from my usual stopping place was so refreshing, and it had taken so much stress off my mind that I could actually write! Such a great feeling!

What should you do to get out of a slump?

Try changing how you set your goals!

If you usually write for a certain amount of time, choose a certain amount of words instead – or vice versa. It’s surprising how much it can free up your mind. You might be shocked by exactly how much stress you’ve put on yourself without even realizing it, and you can always switch back to your old goal setting ways when you’re needing to switch it up again.

Good luck!

Thanks so much for reading, and I’m wishing the best for you on your writing journeys! Don’t forget to love your writing as you work – it’ll shine through in the finished product!

If you’re looking for a hot, steamy romance series (adults, 18+), check out The Pell Playhouse series, on Amazon – FREE with Kindle Unlimited and available in paperback. I’m currently working on book three every day, and it’s getting closer and closer to being complete!

Hope you’re reading some good books and having a happy 2022!

Setting Goals for the New Year

Posted on by Vicki Sweets
Instagram: vickisweetsbooks

As we approach the new year, I know it’s tempting to look back and consider all the things we didn’t do. I urge you, instead, to only glance at the past, take a small mental note, and push forward to pursue new ventures.

I’m sure you’ve heard before that you shouldn’t compare yourself to others, but what about to yourself? Is it good to hold yourself in competition with your past self? I think, to a certain extent, yes.

You have to train your mind not to focus negative attention on what you didn’t accomplish. It takes practice to only see what you did accomplish. For example, I didn’t publish six books in 2021 – not even half that. However, I did produce a complete, high quality sequel that came out less than nine months after the first installment of the series – all while moving into a new mom, keeping my kiddo safe during the pandemic, and growing my social media accounts to promote my books and encourage other indie authors. See! I might not have produced an incredible number of works this past year, but at some point, my goals changed. I realized quality was more important than quality, and with other events in my life, I could not produce high-quantity without sacrificing quality.

Adjusting Your Goals

Something that I’ve found helpful is to list out your goals at the beginning of the year, and break those goals into twelve checkpoints – one for each month. Then, at the start of each month, break those twelve smaller goal checkpoints into weekly goals and list the tasks you need to complete to reach them. Seeing what tasks you need to complete each week will give you a manageable way to reach your overall goal for each month – and, ultimately, the year!

Rethinking Your Goals

Keep in mind, goals should keep you moving forward. If you reach a point in the year that you realize you’re constantly looking back at how behind you’ve gotten or how much you haven’t done yet – rewrite your goals. Make the smaller, more reachable, if you need to. There’s no shame in that, and you’ll have a sense of pride when you do still meet your newly set goal in the future. Remember, they’re your goals – these are for you! No one’s going to judge you for re-evaluating what you want to (and can realistically) accomplish, so stop judging yourself.

Good Luck!

I hope everyone has a wonderful end to 2021 – it’s been a long year with lots of ups and downs. Wishing everyone a happy new year with lots of luck and love in your future!

A goal without a plan is only a dream.

Brian Tracy

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