Right up front I will admit I am a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants type of writer. I have a pie-in-the-sky outlook on what I want to accomplish, but until I set goals, not much happens. Because I am also a non-competitive, procrastinator, who needs to plan out life. So how do I reconcile those two different “personalities”?
In all my years of gathering wisdom, some about myself and my habits, I’ve figured out that I am not competitive with others, but I am very competitive with me. And in order to manifest that, I have to have spread sheets and charts and written goals broken down from annual to quarterly, monthly, weekly, and daily. I’m not one of those types, you say with the back of your hand plastered against your forehead. I HATE Spreadsheets, you say. No worries. I am the least mathematical, spread-sheet type queen to ever grace this earth. Excel is my enemy. But I do know how to set up a horizontal topic line and a vertical date line. That’s it, folks. Nothing else to see. Oh, except to find the little SUM icon that looks like a weird E.
The one thing I do know how to do is schmooze and learn from other writers. One of those things that has come up in group after group, not only in writing, but any profession I’ve been in, is the importance of setting goals and having ways to measure them.
So, over the years, I developed ways that work for me. I report in daily to one group. That is where I set up my daily goals, such as I want to finish chapter three, or today I’m going to update my website. By saying them “out loud,” it helps me to actually do them. Well, most of them. There are days when something on one list gets transferred to the next day’s list. But the fact I’ve told someone makes the self-competitive gene kick in, and it’s enough to make me try to stay on track.
Every Sunday, I report my weekly word count goal to another group. We have all set up our annual word count goal and project goals. For example, I want to send in between 4 and 6 short romances to Woman’s World magazine. To date, I have submitted 5 and I have one in draft form, so I am well in to making the high-end of my goal and possibly exceeding it. Each week our administrator, who does know ALL about spreadsheets, sends back our spreadsheet with weekly totals that show where we are, percentage-wise, in meeting our annual goals. At the bottom of the page is each of our annual task goals, so I can easily check that and highlight what I’ve done to check off the annual list. It’s a painless way (because someone else figured out the spreadsheet 😊 ) of keeping me on track.
As we near the end of 2019 and stroll into 2020, I will assess my achievements and set up goals for 2020. This system has kept me on track for several years now. Each of you can come up with your own system. Whatever works for you. But writing it down and telling others, does make you more accountable to yourself.
What do you do to set goals for the year? Month? Day?
We’d love to hear more ways authors and readers stay organized.
Now on to more fun things. The thing I do AFTER I’ve accomplished my daily goals. READING! So, here is a list of more Christmas reads. I’ve made it through a few more books since my November holiday read blog. The rest, I will wallow through this month, now that I finished first round of edits on my own Vermont Inn Christmas book, due out in late 2020.
Holiday Reads: Already Read
·
Wedding
at Mistletoe Chalet
by Dani Collins
·
Once
Upon a Christmas
by Sarah Morgan (an anthology of 3 medical-based novellas)
·
Waiting
for a Miracle
by Jennifer Wilck (a Hanukkah novella)
·
Winter
Wishes: A Regency Holiday Romance Novella by 11 authors
·
Merry
Wild West Christmas
by Wanda Ann Thomas (a member of my MaineRW group)
·
The
Heart of Christmas
by Jill Monroe (a holiday romance from Hallmark publishers)
·
Season
of Wonder by
RaeAnne Thayne
·
Merry
Christmas, Darling
by Donna Alward
·
Holly
Pointe & Candy Canes
by Cindy Kirk
Holiday
Reads in the TBR Pile:
·
A
Cowboy’s Homecoming by
Vicki Lewis Thompson
·
The
Ring Series by
Marcia King-Gamble
· A
Coldwater Christmas by
Delores Fossen
·
Cowboy
Christmas Redemption
by Maisey Yates
·
The
Christmas Town
by Donna VanLiere (Hallmark movie based on this book)
·
Mutts
& Mistletoe
by Natalie Cox (Recommended on RTG in November)
·
The
Christmas Club
by Barbara Hinske (Hallmark movie based on this book)
·
Spirit
of the Season
by Heather Graham
·
A
Wedding in December
by Sarah Morgan
·
Unforgettable
Christmas Dreams
by 11 authors
·
Spirit
of the Season
by Heather Graham
·
A
Wedding in December
by Sarah Morgan
·
Unforgettable
Christmas Dreams
by 11 authors
And...My Holiday Book:
·
Come
Dance with Me
by Delsora Lowe
Come Dance with Me (Oct 2017) – my own holiday story
Improvisational jazz musician meets buttoned up English teacher—will the Christmas lights sparkle or shatter before the dance ends?
Amazon
http://amzn.to/2Ev2rHc
D2D
https://www.books2read.com/u/bMrQva
Improvisational jazz musician meets buttoned up English teacher—will the Christmas lights sparkle or shatter before the dance ends?
Amazon
http://amzn.to/2Ev2rHc
D2D
https://www.books2read.com/u/bMrQva
Delsora Lowe writes small town sweet
romances and contemporary westerns from the mountains of Colorado to the shores
of Maine.
Author of the Starlight Grille
series, Serenity Harbor Maine novellas, and the Cowboys of Mineral Springs series, Lowe has also authored short
romances for Woman’s World magazine.
Social
Media Links:
Author website: www.delsoralowe.com
Author FaceBook page: fb.me/delsoraloweauthor
Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/Delsora-Lowe/e/B01M61OM39/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0
Books2Read Author page: https://www.books2read.com/ap/8GWm98/Delsora-Lowe
BookBub Author Page: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/delsora-lowe-93c6987f-129d-483d-9f5a-abe603876518
Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16045986.Delsora_Lowe
Photo Credit - Clip Art
https://making-the-web.com/sites/default/files/clipart/135005/goals-cliparts-135005-7644519.png
Author website: www.delsoralowe.com
Author FaceBook page: fb.me/delsoraloweauthor
Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/Delsora-Lowe/e/B01M61OM39/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0
Books2Read Author page: https://www.books2read.com/ap/8GWm98/Delsora-Lowe
BookBub Author Page: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/delsora-lowe-93c6987f-129d-483d-9f5a-abe603876518
Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16045986.Delsora_Lowe
Photo Credit - Clip Art
https://making-the-web.com/sites/default/files/clipart/135005/goals-cliparts-135005-7644519.png
16 comments:
Deb, we were cut from a similar cloth in that I also believe that making a list and saying it outloud helps me accomplish it. I'm also fearful of spreadsheets because I always seem to click somewhere and destroy the formula some benevolent person made up for me. I've started my goal setting for 2020 but am still in the "hmmm, what's even possible" stage. Can I do more than rewrite my second non-fiction and maybe write a third as well as write two fiction? Ending a year with no new words beyond monthly blog posts since January, I'm unsure of what I can manage. However, I also am someone who can be happy with reaching XX percent of my goal as it is always more than if I didn't set one in the first place. (Of course I'm happiest when I hit 100% as, like you, I'm more self-competitive).
I love how your system works for you, Deb! You do accomplish a lot each day and each year. I'm in awe. Writing it down and sharing is a powerful tool. Sometimes it even works for me.
I love reading holiday stories too. I'm reading one now by Carolyn Brown.
Judith - the way I figure it is if I don't set goals, I won't have anything to reach for. And many of them are a reach, believe me :-) at least writing them down gives me something to aim for. And as you said, even one word toward a goal is more than I began with. As for blogs - that takes a lot of thought and work, so every word in a blog counts for sure.
Barb - you have accomplished amazing things in writing. And whatever you get done next year, even notes on ideas (and I know you have them :-) ), is great.
Oooh, Ronnie - can you tell me the name of Carolyn's book? Also - I still need to go back and get your Deerbourne Inn Thanksgiving book. That's on my list after I read all the December holiday stories.
Love this, Deb.You're right: if you don't set goals how will you know where you're going?
And I want to know about Carolyn's books, too.
Thanks for stopping by, Susan. Yes, without goals, I'd fritter my days away, for sure. I am a champion at procrastination :-)
I think I'll give goals another try, Delsora. Small steps. Thanks for the extra inspiration.
As a fellow spreadsheet avoider, I'm envious of your spreadsheet queen who does the magic for you. I've tried several times, even used pre-designed systems guaranteed to be fool proof. Well, I guess we know what that makes me, eh?
I set quarterly goals, a smaller chunk of the year that seems less daunting. I also break my goals down into projects, and each project is further broken down to a series of tasks - small bites of the elephant.
I don't have accountability groups but I do have a friend who holds my feet to the fire when need be, and I do the same for her. You're absolutely correct, saying the goal out loud makes it real.
Delsora,
Great blog post! I'm like you in that if I don't set goals to reach for, I don't get anything done. Thanks for sharing.
The nice thing about setting goals, Sarah, is they can be altered / re-evaluated throughout the year. They are just goals, not set in stone. So shouldn't be too scary :-) And as Luanna said above, breaking them down into quarters or months or weeks or days, makes it seem more doable. So my overall goal to put out 3 books next year, is broken down into rewriting and editing goals and time of year I want to contract cover, etc. So it seems more doable then just saying 3 books.
Luanna, I hear ya' on spread sheet - those are scary monsters. Like I said I have the basic rows and columns just so I can keep track by day, week, month, or quarter thought the year. And you can use a word doc too. I just find it easier to see if I put it in a spread sheet.
Thanks for sharing your process. You are a lot more organized than I am :-)
Diana - thanks for checking in. I agree, if I don't share then it is very easy for me to put things off. I am a procrastinator by nature, so setting goals is a must for me. Or at the very least, making lists and crossing things off. I'm sure we all have different processes. My process has been honed and tweaked over the years. The ever-changing process to fit into where I am in my life's journey.
The reason I am in a goal setting/saying and accountability group is because I can lie to myself about what I'm accomplishing or even fudge numbers. But I can't lie to others. I know it sounds crazy. I always tell people I got a PhD. in rationalization. But when I start to type out the reasons I didn't accomplish something, 90% of the time I realize it's a bunch of hooey.
I really empathize with you about not being competitive with others but definitely with yourself. I'm the same way. I've never had to be the first, the best, the one on top. But once I commit to something I very much HAVE to get there. I've learned over the years that if I don't get there I won't die (chuckle softly). But sometimes I do nearly kill myself trying to get there.
Everyone has their own approach. There are other times I've learned not to set or share goals. NaNoWriMo is one of them. I did it one year, long ago, when I was working full time. I spent the last wee of November literally without sleep in order to reach my 50K words and still go to work. Never again! That was craziness.
Thanks for sharing your process. I think everyone learns from what other people do. It gives you permission to try it and see if it works for you.
Maggie - we are so much alike in that way. And I so appreciate you and others who I can "talk" to about writing and about being held accountable for my own goals. Folks - it really does work to say those goals OUT LOUD and to WITNESSES :-)
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