How to set the right writing goals

Sophie Pembroke

4 years ago

The RIGHT writing goals

Setting writing goals for the year in September, rather than January, has always made perfect sense to me. Maybe I just never really grew out of being that kid who was excited to shop for new stationery at the end of the summer holidays, ready for the back to school rush, but September always feels like a second chance at a new year.

So this September, as part of my Back to School blog series, I’m encouraging you to get setting your own writing goals for the academic year ahead.

Not sure where to start with your writing goals? Don’t worry. I’ve got you covered. I’m going to detail my own goal setting methods for you to follow, or adapt to suit your own circumstances. Together, over the next two weeks, we’re going to Dream Big and Plan Small.

All you need to do is grab a notebook, pen, a cup of tea (or beverage of choice) and a quiet half an hour to really think about where you want to be in twelve months time.

Ready? Then let’s go.

Dream Big

Imagine where you want to be

I promise you, the rest of this post will be feet on the ground, action led. But first, we’re going to do some dreaming.

Find a time and a place where you won’t be interrupted or distracted, and one where you know your creativity thrives. If you get your best ideas while out walking, or driving, go for a walk or a drive. If you daydream best in your comfy chair with a cuppa and a blanket, staring out of the window at the wind in the trees, then head there.

Once you have your creative space, start to imagine.

I want you to picture Future You. That person you always assume will have a better handle on the world, and the To Do list. The one who has put in the work, made the money – sold the big book of her dreams. The one who did all that and also remembered to put the bins out on Sunday night after her third glass of wine. The Impossible Dream You.

Now, I’m not suggesting for a moment that you need to actually become that person in the next twelve months.

No, what I want you to do is focus in on the parts that really matter about how that dream version of you is living her life – specifically her writing life.

Does she:

Write every day?
Have an agent?
Organise childcare to allow herself writing time?
Invest in her education?
Limit her time on social media?

Also consider this: how did she get from where you are now, to where she is?

Did she:

Get up an hour before her kids every morning to write?
Drop down to four days a week at work to use the fifth for writing? (And if so, what financial lifestyle changes did she make to fund that?)
Have a serious conversation with her partner about her goals, and how they can work together to help her achieve them?
Research self publishing on her lunch break every day for months?
Reach out to acquaintances who have already got where she wants to go and ask for advice?

And so on. You know, far better than I ever could, what stands between where you are now and where you want to be. Taking time out to daydream can sometimes make those actual concrete steps easier to see – and to imagine taking them.

Pick Your Priorities

Choose the goals that lead you directly towards the life of you imagined

Time to stop dreaming and start planning. With your vision clear in your head, write down all the steps you identified between where you are and where you want to be. Don’t worry right now about how achievable they all are – just write them down and get them out of your head.

Then, once your list is complete, highlight the 12 items that are the first and most powerful steps to starting your journey towards where you want to be.

Yes, just 12. I know there are far more things on that list that you’re desperate to do RIGHT NOW, but scattering your focus across too many goals just makes you less likely to achieve any of them. (Even 12 is more than many people would recommend – and if they’re all big ones, you’re probably going to have to drop a few before we get to the end of this exercise.)

Pick your priorities. Everything else might just have to wait.

(Check out the bonus tip below for help picking the right ones!)

BONUS TIP: Focus on the things you can change

Some of the actions on your list are going to be out of your control. ‘Get an agent’ isn’t something you can guarantee through your own actions. But sending out three query letters a month is. Likewise, getting an Amazon bestseller flag with your indie published book isn’t entirely within your control. Researching what the requirements are, reading up on how other authors achieved it, budgeting for the required promotion and putting in place the steps to attempt it, however, are all things that you can do.

Focus on the actions you can take towards those bigger, less controllable goals, and you’ll be better prepared to hit them.

That’s it! You have 12 goals for the next 12 months – and if you hit them all you’ll be a huge step closer to achieving the writing life you dreamed of.

Of course, writing down a goal isn’t the same as meeting it, but it’s a great first step. For now, type them up, make them look pretty, print them out and put them somewhere you’ll see them every day.

And then come back next week, when I’ll show you how to plan your writing schedule to help you hit every single one of your 12 goals, by planning small.