Do you set goals? They are an essential part of life. They help us to stay focused and keep our lives organized.
But have you ever set a goal that you had no hope of fulfilling?
I have. You set this really high goal, just for fun let's say it was to bake 10,000 cookies in 2015 (I know, that's silly, but you get my point J)
Now, I guess if you work in a bakery, you might bake that many, but if you are just a normal housewife, or daughter, do you really think you'll meet that goal?
It might be fun at first, but you would soon tire of trying to reach such an unrealistic goal. And then because you failed to reach that goal, you won't be motivated to set more goals.
I have found goals to be a huge part of my writing 'program'(if you can call it that!)
But I have to be careful to set goals that I know I can reach. They should stretch your limits a bit, but not be impossible.
For instance, my goal is to have Be Still My Soul, my latest book project, published by December. This means that I have a ton of work to do in the next few months, especially since the rough draft isn't even finished yet.
But it is possible for me to complete this goal. I might have to put in a few late nights and push myself a little harder, but I know I can do it. If I said my goal was to have this book published by October, that is probably an impossible goal judging by how much work I still have to complete.
Goals are great motivators and I like using them, a lot, but if I set too many impossible goals, I get discouraged when I can't meet them.
Don't stop setting goals! Just be sure that they are within reason J
Goals are also a great way to break down a seemingly enormous task into manageable bite size pieces.
Instead of looking at the overwhelming task of writing a whole 50,000 word novel, break it down into daily goals of, say, 500 words. Or weekly goals of something like 3-4,000 words.
I have found this to be a very effective way to keep me motivated. My overall word count goes up faster, thus encouraging me to press on.
What about you…do you find setting goals to be helpful to you? Have you ever set an impossible goal and felt discouraged? What are some way you use goals to help you accomplish things?
But have you ever set a goal that you had no hope of fulfilling?
I have. You set this really high goal, just for fun let's say it was to bake 10,000 cookies in 2015 (I know, that's silly, but you get my point J)
Now, I guess if you work in a bakery, you might bake that many, but if you are just a normal housewife, or daughter, do you really think you'll meet that goal?
It might be fun at first, but you would soon tire of trying to reach such an unrealistic goal. And then because you failed to reach that goal, you won't be motivated to set more goals.
I have found goals to be a huge part of my writing 'program'(if you can call it that!)
But I have to be careful to set goals that I know I can reach. They should stretch your limits a bit, but not be impossible.
For instance, my goal is to have Be Still My Soul, my latest book project, published by December. This means that I have a ton of work to do in the next few months, especially since the rough draft isn't even finished yet.
But it is possible for me to complete this goal. I might have to put in a few late nights and push myself a little harder, but I know I can do it. If I said my goal was to have this book published by October, that is probably an impossible goal judging by how much work I still have to complete.
Goals are great motivators and I like using them, a lot, but if I set too many impossible goals, I get discouraged when I can't meet them.
Don't stop setting goals! Just be sure that they are within reason J
Goals are also a great way to break down a seemingly enormous task into manageable bite size pieces.
Instead of looking at the overwhelming task of writing a whole 50,000 word novel, break it down into daily goals of, say, 500 words. Or weekly goals of something like 3-4,000 words.
I have found this to be a very effective way to keep me motivated. My overall word count goes up faster, thus encouraging me to press on.
What about you…do you find setting goals to be helpful to you? Have you ever set an impossible goal and felt discouraged? What are some way you use goals to help you accomplish things?
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