First, I apologize for not posting last week. I had one priority that absolutely had to be finished by last Friday so some other things on my schedule had to get bumped. One of those things was my blog post. But I’m back this week and have a great post for you about a goal-setting secret I learned that really helped me reach more goals.
Here we go:
My goals used to be more of a “to do” list where all my goals were listed randomly. For example: write a book, drink 60 oz of water a day, go to the post office, build a following on social media, etc. I kept failing at reaching my goals. (I think some of you can already see why.) Then I figured out the secret. Some of the goals I was setting were short term goals and some were long term. Writing a book is definitely a long term goal, but my brain was seeing it as something that had to be completed as easily as going to the post office. I needed to organize my goals to show my brain that some of these goals needed a lot more work than others.
I started dividing my “to do” items into categories: Writing, Life (for all those little errands, time with friends, date night), Cleaning Day (for laundry and, obviously, cleaning), Finances. Some of these categories don’t really have long term goals, but the ones that did, I chose which long term goal I was going to focus on first. To keep this post simple, I’m going to show you how I created short term goals for just one long term goal in the category of writing.
Writing Category
Long term goal: Write and publish a book
1. I research.
If I know nothing about my long term goal, I research it. I form a rough idea of what reaching the goal is going to include or what kind of steps are involved. I start with only the basic information because, if you like details like I do, it is very easy to get overwhelmed and feel like quitting before I even get started.
For the writing example, I had a list that looked something like this:
Write the book
Write
Edit
Rewrite
Publish the book
Format for self publishing
Upload to self publishing platforms
Market the book
Choose main social media to connect with fans
Create a marketing and sales plan
(This list changed a lot, by the way, as I learned more about each area during my ongoing research.)
2. I write out one or two of my first steps.
Next, I started writing down only the first few steps toward my long term goal, no more than would take a month to complete. (Note: Your first two steps will be different than mine. My mind was hung up on different things than yours might be.) For me, the first few steps to getting started on writing my book were something like this:
Research writing processes
Figure out a writing process that works for me
Record ideas for the novel I want to write
3. I break down my monthly goals into weekly goals.
I took my monthly list and asked myself, “What do I need to do to complete my goals for this month?” Then I wrote a list of ideas and steps required for each goal. Based on that list, I would gauge how much time I needed to devote to each to have them done by the end of the month. (Keep in mind, this is just what works for me. You can figure out the steps that work best for you and your specific goals.)
For the list above, my weekly goals would look something like this:
Research writing processes - 1 week
1. Create profile on one writing platform; make at least one writing friend to discuss writing processes with
2. Google “How to write a book”
3. Check out YouTube videos on how to write a book
4. Research J.K. Rowling and Amanda Hocking for inspiration on their writing processes
Figure out a writing process that works for me - 1 month
1. Write out an ideal schedule for my writing day then use it. Write what works and doesn’t work with the schedule and adjust it for the following day until I find the schedule that best works for me.
2. Make a list of ideas of what inspires me and puts me in the mood to write, then test out those ideas and mark the ones that work.
3. Find a location where writing comes easiest to me. Make a list of places that I think will work for me, then test them out.
Record any ideas I get for the novel I’m working on - 1 month
1. Use a 1-subject notebook to record any plot ideas, names, characters, locations, etc.
2. Set aside specific time each day to brainstorm for the novel
3. As my information grows, figure out a system to organize that information so I can find it and add to it easily.
(From here I chose what I would work on each day. Looking at this list felt a whole lot better and manageable than my original jumbled "to do" list.)
The above is just an example, but the concept is there of how I would break my long term goal down into monthly, weekly and daily goals. The specific goals I set changed a lot, and I let that be ok. I had never written an entire book before, so I didn’t know the daily steps involved. I had to figure them out as I went. I also didn’t know what kind of setbacks I would run into, so I let that be ok as well. Sometimes I would change a goal to better suit me, other times I would completely get rid of a goal. I felt it out each day and wrote down what was working for me and what wasn’t. By adjusting the things that weren’t working, I found the best process possible for myself. I can now accomplish goals much more easily because I’m setting specific goals that I know will work for me. I still adjust goals that aren’t working. It’s all about learning yourself and what works best for your personality and the way your brain is wired.
Best wishes to turning your long term goal into short term goals and getting those goals accomplished! I’m rooting for you! Take whatever helped you in this post and test it out, adjust it and find what works for you. It’s all about you, the way you learn and the way you function.
Thanks for stopping in again this week. Next week is February, so we will be starting a new subject I like to call The Imaginary You. I’ll be sharing my journey of how I used my imagination to find and become the person I always wanted to be: the real me.
Each of us is special. Each of us has been given a gift that fulfills us, gives us confidence and provides a unique way for us to connect with and add value to the world. Each of us has a Real Me inside, waiting to shine.
See you next week for more about finding this wonderful you. Plus, I’ll have an exciting announcement to post that you won’t want to miss, so I’ll see you right back here next Thursday!
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