Six Ways To Not Give Up on Your Writing Goals
How to Go After Your Writing Goals This Year
Photo by Ketut Subiyanto
If you are a writer or creative who wants to focus more on your writing, then I’m sure that each year, you have a writing goal for how many times you want to publish. Where you want to publish or goals around selling your products.
That’s all well and good but if you happen to fall short on your writing goals each year despite the amazing goals you set, then maybe it’s time to rethink how you set a writing goal.
To make writing goals you can keep, you should be realistic. You should be intentional and then, you should be disciplined about how you publish.
Finally, you’ve got to be determined about your growth by being willing to learn and invest to improve your skills.
1: Have Realistic Goals for How Often You will Publish
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Don’t tell yourself you will publish thirty articles a month if you know it’s not possible. When you set your writing goals and intentions for the year, be realistic about how often you can publish.
If you know you won’t be able to write every day of the week, then be honest with yourself.
Make it a point to publish once a week. Set writing goals you are most likely to keep and of course, focus on quality and not quantity.
2: Stop Waiting to Be Inspired to Write
Once you’ve set realistic writing goals for yourself, be disciplined with your approach.
Sometimes, it’s less pressure to tell yourself you will write only once inspiration hits and it is not necessarily a bad thing to want to be inspired to write.
However, if you want to start making writing goals you can keep, then you should be more disciplined.
Once you know you’ve set the intention to write once a week, then don’t wait for inspiration but get on the desk and write out what comes to your mind.
Write out your ideas so you have a long list of what you will publish in a week and then a month.
Also, another way to be disciplined with your writing is for you to actively seek inspiration. Find things that inspire you to write. Go to places that will get your creative juices flowing.
For myself, inspiration is in nature, it’s in a book or at an event. Actively search for ways to be inspired.
3: Have A Schedule for When to Publish
Photo by Han
Another good way to go after your writing goals is to have a schedule for your writing. Once you know you’d be disciplined about having ideas and seeking inspiration, have a plan for how often you will publish.
Content creators tend to have a content plan and schedule for the way they publish. The same can go for writers.
Once you know what it is you want to write about, endeavour to mark out days in your week when you’d schedule to publish your work. It could be once or twice a week. It can be Monday and Friday or Tuesday and Friday.
Know the days of the week you’d want to publish. Then, have a consistent schedule. This is helpful to not only you but others who follow you to know when they can expect your content.
4: Get Connected to Other Writers for Advise
If you find that you always fall short of your writing goals or are often uninspired, then you should get connected to other writers.
There are different ways you can connect with other writers. You can follow writers on their social media platforms. You can stay subscribed to their articles and newsletters. You can be part of writer events, workshops and webinars. You can also connect to writing groups that are within your local community.
Getting connected to other writers is important because it helps in the learning process, especially if you need advice.
Getting connected to other writers also serves as fuel and inspiration for how to keep up with your writing goals. To grow and expand.
Connect with other writers to be informed and to be inspired.
5: Assess How People Respond to Your Writing & Products
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Another way to start making writing goals you can keep is to assess how people respond to your writing.
It’s fine to be passionate but don’t just keep doing the same things you’ve always done.
Take a look at what you’ve published in the past and analyze it. Did people respond to your writing? Did they engage with your work? Also, what were the sales for your products like? When you look at these different aspects of your writing and products, it will enable you to know what you need to do in your next steps.
As far as actions to take in your next steps, it’s good to learn from others.
I recently attended a webinar on how to build your brand by another Medium writer: Niharika Sodhi and at the webinar, she said that for writers who feel stuck in what to create and how often, they should diversify.
You should diversify the way you create and write on Medium and social media platforms. You should test how people react to your writing in either text, pictures or videos.
Also, when it comes to your products, she advises you to be willing to create and give out products for FREE. Then, assess how many people want those free products and if people are excited about downloading your free products.
If people want your free products, then they are more likely to pay once you provide them with the option of paying for your products.
6: Improve Your Skills and Experience as a Writer
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Another way for you to start making writing goals you can keep is to improve your skills as a writer. This is in addition to being connected to a writing community. You should also improve your skills by taking writing courses or getting mentorship from more experienced and established writers.
When you expand on your knowledge and skills as a writer, it allows you to consider new ideas and approaches for how you create and how you communicate your message and story to others.
Improving your skills and experiences is a great way to motivate you in your writing because as you learn, you become more eager to practice that new knowledge.
In Conclusion
When setting out writing goals for the year, don’t just tell yourself you’re going to write more or you’re going to sell more but be more strategic and realistic in your approach.
Understand how often it is you can truly write. Be sure to be disciplined in your writing goals by making a plan instead of waiting for inspiration to strike.
Also, know that when you hit share for your post or market your product, you’ve taken the time to assess and analyze what you are giving out to the world.
Is it as good as it can be? Can your writing be better? Should you do something different in your content and have you ever offered a free product?
I wish you success in your writing goals!
