Well, 2021 was another banner year for the world. I cannot tell you how many people have told me that they have had so much trouble focusing and getting their writing done. Accountability is really the watchword for the year. We all need it.
But as I write this on the 30th of December, we are approaching the end of the year. It’s impossible not to look back to see how we did with our goals and what we would like to try to achieve in the coming year. I do this every year and I hope that you do it along with me.
Every year I create a list of three different types of goals: Goals, which are things I definitely can achieve; Hopes, which will take a little bit more work and effort; and Dreams, which are pie in the sky wishes that I may or may not have any control over but I would love to see come true.
First, at this time last year I wrote down the following:
Goals:
- Continue getting better at marketing
- Continue growing my coaching business
- Develop a new series to follow the Ladies’ Wagering Whist Society
Hopes:
- That the LWWS series continues to sell well
- Coaching clients come my way
- A personal goal.
Dreams:
- My mailing list grows and engagement with readers grows
- Two more personal goals
I’m and quite pleased to say that I attained all three of my goals and my two business-related hopes. My mailing list hasn’t grown much nor have I done much better with my reader engagement, but it’s a work in progress.
I discussed these goals with Pru Warren on our podcast this week (you can listen to it here), and she made an excellent point which was that for at least the goals part of this list, they should really be quantifiable. We all know about SMART goals and that M does stand for Measurable. So this year I will do better with my list. Here it is for 2022:
Goals:
- Write three books and a novella
- Add five more coaching clients
- Get Jack of Diamonds made into an audiobook
Hopes:
- For my Facebook ads to break even (I earn as much as I spend on them)
- To learn how to do better at audiobook ads
- To teach more online classes (This isn’t entirely in my control as I usually go through other organizations to host my courses, but if those opportunities don’t come through I could host them myself.)
Dreams:
- Get into a top list on Amazon with one book
- Continue to work on my mailing list and reader engagement
- A personal goal.
In addition to these goals, I’m already working on doing all I can to make sure I accomplish them which I talked about in November in this blog post.
Finally, a word about the quote at the top: I put that there because I found it inspirational. The Insecure Writer’s Support Group is a great group and very supportive. They have a Facebook group where people post problems and others do what they can to help. This past year has been hard. For some of us, life took control and left us with very little we could say or do about it. Feeling out of control is frustrating for everyone but this year I think we can do better. Now, that’s not to say that the pandemic is just going to go away or your day job is going to get any easier or the kids will be back in school full time, or whatever your issues are, it’s to say that with goals in mind you can hopefully take back some measure of control. So, make your goals, each month break them down into manageable bites that are achievable. If you can, break them down even by the day so that you will be able to see how well you are doing in moving toward your goals.
It’s not easy, but it might just be possible. Good luck to you and I hope you have a wonderful and happy new year! I’ll be back next year with more writing and publishing advice!