Pebblepup's Writing Den

If you want to do something, make achieving it a goal to reach by a certain date. It should be something you know you can do. Writing a six hundred page novel in four days is not achievable. That won’t work as a goal.

You need to be reasonable and idealistic about the goals you choose to set. Setting reasonable goals in a realistic manner will make it easier to get to the goal.

Take NaNoWriMo, for instance. The challenge isn’t to write a six hundred page novel in thirty days, it’s to get fifty thousand words in the month. That’s it. It’s a reasonable length for a novel as well.

It’s a clear goal as well. Keep your goals simple and clear. That will lead to achieving them as well. Simple goals are easier to list out.

I find writing a list makes it easier to reach the goals I set for myself. I use my to-do list and a calendar. The to-do list is something I consult daily, so I know what I need to do.

I break the main goal down into smaller chunks, or steps. What do I need to do to reach that particular goal. List the steps. Then decide when you will do them.

I want to lose twenty pounds. I want to do that in six months. That means I need to determine what I need to do to achieve that goal.

Six months seems like a long time. To break that down, six months is twenty-four weeks, roughly. That works out to about a pound a week. That means I’ve chosen the right length of time to achieve the goal. A pound a week means I can lose twenty-four pounds in six months. I only need to lose twenty.

Weight Watchers has a point system for food. I am allowed twenty-eight points each day and thirty or so every week. I can go over my points on a particular day, but I need to stay under the weekly points that I use. I can earn weekly points by activity.

If I can stay within my daily allotment of points, I will lose weight. That’s the food. I also need to move more.

That’s how goal setting works. You determine your goal. Then you set a time limit. Then you work out what steps you need to do every week or day, to reach that goal. Now for the hard part.

Do the steps. I say it is the hardest part because sometimes it is. Take NaNoWriMo, the challenge to write fifty thousand words in thirty days. That works out to about sixteen hundred sixty-eight words a day. That’s the hard part, getting that sixteen hundred sixty-eight words each day of the challenge.

If you make it a game or a challenge, you will find it is easier to do. That’s the key to making goals. You have to make them achievable. Otherwise you will fail. No one likes missing a goal. I am no exception there. So I try to make my goals something I know I can achieve. Good luck and keep writing.