I wrote this blog post for Coffeetime Romance and thought I’d share it with you here…
Another year is coming to an end. It’s often a time of reflection when many of us ask ourselves have we achieved all the goals we set out to conquer?
Did you get that book finally finished this year? Did you even start to write it? How about the short story you thought you’d be brave enough to submit to your dream publication?
I was sometimes hard on myself, looking back thinking I didn’t do this and I didn’t do that, but then this simple fact would dawn upon me.
It’s almost a new year and I can make new goals.
Sometimes I achieved them…sometimes I didn’t.
It doesn’t matter if you do or don’t, but the main thing is you set goals and here are a few tips I’ve used to set things into motion.
Write them down…okay, they might be in your head but when you finally write them down, or type them, they become that more real. They’re no longer just words rolling around in your brain, they’re finally out there in the universe.
Break them down…writing a novel sounds like a daunting task, especially if you never written more than a grocery list. However, writing one chapter per month doesn’t sound so daunting does it? Take baby steps to reach your goal…no one said you couldn’t.
Share your secret…have you ever told someone you were going to do something and then felt almost obligated to get the job done? It’s that embarrassment factor that sometimes is the much needed kick up the butt we all need. Tell someone, be it a friend or family member…even post it on Twitter…in 2019 I’m going to write a book.
Make yourself accountable…this sort of ties in with the last tip. Ask someone to check in with you from time to time. Ask how you’re doing and if you haven’t been working toward your goal, ask you why not.
No treats until…remember when your parents told you no dessert until you finished every single morsel on your plate? Or no going to play outside until your homework was done? Think back to childhood and how a treat motivated you to get the job done.