Last night at the Illinois-SCBWI North Suburban Network’s monthly meeting, we talked about writing goals and resolutions for the New Year.
Most writers abhorred the notion of “resolutions” since, like most restrictive expectations, they seem ridiculously connected to the expectation of failure.
But “goals” and “plans” feel different.
Some of us had writing goals that were more expansive; some of us focus on smaller, “do-able” pieces.
One fellow writer, John Levine, spoke beautifully about combining bigger dreams and small, achievable steps. John put into words what I’d been trying to articulate into a post since the beginning of 2010:
What works for me is to have both a ‘big dream’ and a series of small, manageable steps to focus on.
The big dream - for example, seeing my book in print and readers enjoying it – inspires my work. However, in the beginning as well as at other times along the journey, the dream can seem impossible to accomplish. I think, ‘I’ll never be able to do all this.’
So I dispel the doubt and take the pressure off by focusing on the smaller, doable tasks just ahead of me. The satisfaction of accomplishing each of those steps builds and sustains my momentum.
There are times, however, when I get stuck or bogged down in the details of working on the small steps or frustrated with what seems to an endless road ahead.
When my motivation flags, I lift my sights back to the big dream. The feeling of excitement that comes from visualizing myself achieving it becomes a source of renewed energy for my work.
So back and forth I go, from big dream to small steps and back again, on the journey to getting published.
Thank you for letting me share this, John. I love it. It’s a “keeper” quote. And I love the positive emotion created by other writers sharing their hopes, dreams, frustrations…and plans to stay resilient on the journey of our lives!
Do you have thoughts you’d be willing to share at The Irrepressible Writer? How do goals and plans work best for you? Or do they not?
The idea of shifting back and forth from the small goals to the big dreams sounds like a useful strategy.
I’m a very goal-oriented person, and one thing that helps me stay on task is being organized. I keep lists and charts so I have a concrete record of my progress, because my perception of what I’ve done tends to be bleaker than what the evidence would indicate.
Thanks for sharing this, Lisa. I like the idea that you keep lists and charts not because you’re “supposed” to, but because you know yourself, and you know that you need a reminder that maybe you’ve accomplished more than you think you have. Just as writing techniques vary from person to person, self-help techniques need to be a “good match” for who you are.
I think that’s exactly how it works, both things propel you forward, but the big dream is the motivational force and the small steps are the pratical solutions to achieving your goals. When it comes to writing a longer work, like a novel, I found that idea completely overwhelming. So I broke it down into math and the # of words, 1,000 words every time I sit down to write, until I reached 80,000 words. It’s similar, there’s a big goal and the little ones that get you there
I’m glad you’ve found a way to balance the big and small…and that you have the end product now to feel pride in!
Hi, Carol, thanks for adding me on Twitter and glad I found you. Interesting website.
You’ll see from my blog that I need encouragement from time to time!
Kind regards, Carole.
Hi, Carole…Thanks…and most of us do need encouragement from time to time. Glad you could find some here…
I find a series of small steps is helpful too. Writing a book seems really daunting at times. It’s gratifying to have an ongoing sense of accomplishment along the way.
This is very inspirational – thank you for sharing it with us!
Without knowing it, I’ve started making lists this year and crossing them out when I finish something…even if it’s just something small that I have accomplished that day, it makes me feel productive. I just love seeing it completed and crossed off.
I have even been working on this with my own writing/reading/blogging goals. I think ‘making lists’ are my newest things this year.