If you are like me you have just dug out from under the holidays and having guest and need to start planning for the future. So let's get at it.
Goals: At the
start of the New Year, we plan out what we want to achieve this year. It might be easy to come up with the goals
but hard to achieve them. After all, we
only have twenty-four hours in a day, no more, no less. Yet, we all know people
who seem to get it all done.
How you might ask?
Planning ahead and breaking things down in bite size
pieces are the two best ways to achieving your goals. Okay, you’re goal is to write four books this
year. Impossible you might say, but let’s break it down with a few questions
How many
pages can you write a day?
How long are the books?
How much time do you need to edit
the book once it’s done?
Let’s say you want to write a 240 page book. You can squeeze
out three pages a day with everything else you have to do.
Simple math 240/3 = 80 days.
You want to write 4 books x 80 days
= 320
365 days in a year - 320 = 45 days to do edits.
If you can edit each book in 11
days, you’ve made your goal with one day to spare.
Is this feasible for everything else you have to do?
What about
other commitments?
Other
objectives?
Family? Friends?
Will this
fit in your over all scheme? What about promotion and blogging?
Or can you
make it happen by edit at odd time, like at your kid’s soccer game?
Write more
pages on weekends and take off time during the week.
If you plan ahead, set deadlines and make your objectives
clear to your family and friends, you can make it happen.
Motivation and Conflict
These two things can kill a well laid out plan. If you are
unmotivated to write or have some type of conflict, your writing can suffer.
This is where you need to work some flexibility into your plan.
Work in time for potential conflicts that might arise, if
they don’t it’ll only give you more time to write. We all have life outside of writing and
things happen. Like our characters conflict test our resolve and the best way
to work our way through it is by revising our goals and forgiving ourselves for
our shifts in priorities.
Find motivation can also derail a plan. If you worn out or struggling
with other issues in your life, it can be difficult to sit your butt down in
the chair and write. Again, give yourself a break and schedule a special treat
for yourself like an hour in the tub with a glass of wine and scented candle.
Remember to celebrate each victory that comes along and give yourself time to
enjoy your accomplishments.
Here’s to achieving your goals this New Year.
Hope all your dreams come true.
With a little planning, they will.
Tina Gayle
