How to Set Goals for Your Writing
How to Set Goals for Your Writing
Do you want to grow an email list, publish a book, something else?
Every year in December, I start to prepare for the following year. Yes, I wrap up my current projects and work to finish strong in the current year.
But I need to start thinking ahead. It helps me prepare for the upcoming year, so I can create great content and do the things that matter to me.
Before I start planning those goals, I take a look backward. I look at the current year and ask a few questions:
What went well?
What didn’t go so well?
What could I have changed?
I write down three to five answers for each question, then celebrate the things that went well, mourn the things that sucked, and learn the lessons I need to know.
After that, I move on to what I want next year to look like.
Writing Goals Start with Writing Priorities
Before I can set goals for the next year, I have to remind myself of what my priorities are for my writing.
Do you know what your priorities are for writing?
For most people, writing priorities are: making money, growing a following, publishing a book, or starting a blog.
These are common, but many writers never see them grow over the year because they go about things hoping, praying, and sometimes writing without direction.
That’s why we need to know the priorities. Then we can set goals. And once we do those things, we can accomplish something.
I suggest you decide on one or two priorities for this year. Once you have those two priorities, write them down on top of a blank page.
Then you can set some goals.
Setting Writing Goals for the Year
I would suggest setting one goal for each priority. To help you develop your goals, use the SMARTER Goal Setting System:
Specific: set goals that are as specific as possible.
Measurable: make your goals quantifiable to track progress.
Actionable: write your plan for something you will actively do.
Relatable: you need to set goals that you can do in your current life.
Time-bound: set goals with a deadline to create urgency.
Evaluate: create preset times when you are going to review your goals.
Reward: select a reward for yourself when you accomplish your goal.
This is a simple breakdown of how to set goals. Below are a few examples of goals that line up with my earlier shared priorities.
Example Goals
Above I shared a few examples of priorities. In this section, I will share SMARTER goals that go with those priorities.
Priority: Make Money Writing
Goal example: I will make money writing online by starting a Fiverr account and making $100 per month by April.
Priority: Grow a Following
Goal example: I will increase my Substack Subscribers to 1,000 people by July.
Priority: Publish a Book
Goal example: I will publish a 30,000-word book on Amazon KDP by August.
Priority: Start a Blog
Goal example: I will launch a blog with WordPress by February.
Goal setting is as easy as that. However, all of these goals relate to my life. My timeframes are specific to what I can do with my day job, family, and other commitments.
Nevertheless, these are examples of goals that could work for you.
What are your goals for this coming year?
With this framework in mind, what are your priorities? What are your goals? How might you prepare for the upcoming year? Share in the comments below!
J.R. Heimbigner is a #1 Bestselling Author on Amazon who loves helping people grow in their faith and help writers become authors. You can connect with him on Medium, his website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Substack!
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