For the A to Z Challenge, I’m posting promo and other tips for writers. Today it’s daily goals.
All people need goals! Without set goals, we drift like leaves on a river. We hand control of our life over to circumstances and other people. “Where there is not vision, the people perish.” – Proverbs 29:18
Writers often set a big goal of ‘getting published.’ But often the journey is long and it’s easy to grow discouraged. Success is built by taking small steps. We must build upon small successes.
Have you written down your goals? Do you even know what specific dreams you want to achieve? Hitting an unknown target is next to impossible!
Try this exercise:
Take ten minutes and write down every goal, dream, and desire. Brainstorm! Remember when you were a child and nothing was impossible.
Select a couple items that are more than wants and needs - they are burning desires. Don’t worry about the HOW - just make a decision that it’s something you “gots to have” as they say in the South.
AFTER you’ve selected your big goals, start setting smaller goals (daily, weekly, monthly) that will help you reach the big goals.
The final step? TAKE ACTION! You can set goals all day long, but if you do nothing, nothing will happen. Start with those daily goals and move forward.
Have you set your daily goals?
25 comments:
Great tips! Sometimes, yes, we do just have to take baby steps, otherwise it becomes overwhelming! :o)
Jessica @ The Alliterative Allomporph
Wonderful tips to get people achieve even the smallest goals.
Yvonne.
I love these tips! And they really work, too. Setting (and resetting) goals is an integral part of my happiness and sense of success.
I never thought of setting daily writing goals. It's a bit gentler than a to do list I think. This will be helpful
Hmmm, I should be working on my query and researching the political scene of pre-civil war America for the next book. But I can't stop surfin' the blogs!
Yup, I write down my goals. Writing it down makes it seem less overwhelming. I think, I can do this!
I have two huge daily goals I've been putting off. But today I attack them head on! Thanks for the inspiration.
Jessica, it does overwhelm. And people who are overwhlemed do nothing.
Sylvia, time to set some.
Stephen, go get 'em!
I haven't done this exercise in a long time...and it's always really effective when I do it. Thanks for the reminder, Diane!
These are excellent tips. Unfortunately, my two main goals are in direct opposition with each other:
1) Finish my novel.
2) Procrastinate.
I love goals. Thanks - great post.
hi, my goals are just to get up in the morning and have some enjoyment from life, and to do good when and where I can. I love to read, write, play, and I thank God for the ability to do all of the above, plus the saving of my soul. Sometimes I even make a list and check off things as I accomplish them. Thanks for the inspirational post. Ruby
Nate, that's ambitious.
Grammy, those are great goals.
Diane, great tip! You have been a catalyst for me to look more closely at your A-Z Challenge and see how I can improve my success. Thanks to you, I am motivated to tackle this challenge!
I don't focus too much on the long term goals. I love daily goals. Great post.
I do have both long and short term. I focus on the short term.
Hi Diane .. we certainly all need to get them written out and achieve our daily ones .. leading to success in the long term.
Thanks for the reminder .. cheers Hilary
GREAT tips! Thanks!
I like this exercise...I'm going to do it. I think setting goals is huge for me.
This is a great idea! I try to plan ahead for the things I really want to do (like that month-long European tour I'll take in a few years!), but I'm crap with the little things... :) However, it was my goal today to visit back all the great bloggers who visited my blog today, so I'm off to a good start!
Huh, what a great idea! I don't know if I can remember all the way back to my childhood dreams. I wanted kittens. Got 'em. I wanted to teach. Doing it. Be an olympic ice skater. Well, that's not going to happen!
Mine were much simpler. Hmmmm, I feel a blog post forming. Need to go jot the idea down.
Fantastic, and thanks for the ideas!
love daily goals,
it sounds like a strategy plan,
well done on D.
Divine D!
A great reminder! Makes me think of this quote I read a few months ago that goes something like this: "The most important thing about goals is having one."
I have done goals but must remember to keep looking at them. I shall make that a goal today!
I tend to set myself small goals every now and again (I like making to do lists). So long as there's some kind of plan (even if you don't really stick to it) gives a hell of a lot of focus.
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