WRITING

How to Set Writing Goals for the New Year

BY ANDREA MORAN • January 2, 2025

How to Set Writing Goals for the New Year

The time has come once again to think about our goals and resolutions for the new year. For aspiring and established authors, this often includes some sort of writing objective. Often, however, those objectives can be maddeningly vague: “I’m going to improve my writing” or “I’m going to spend more time writing,” for example. Here are a few steps to guide you on your way toward making meaningful and (more importantly) practical writing goals to usher in a new era.

Think of the big picture . . .
It seems like everyone encourages writers to start small—but if you don’t first contemplate the sheer largeness of your dreams, it can make those tiny steps feel stifling. So take a few moments to think big. What is your end goal? What does your fantasy life as an author look like? Feel like?

Whether you want to be an internationally known bestselling author who regularly appears on Reese Witherspoon’s book club list or you envision yourself rubbing elbows with the intellectuals of this generation at the Pulitzer Prize ceremony, indulge in the fantasy for a bit. This can ultimately reignite your passion for writing and help remind you why you want to do it in the first place.

. . . then break it down into a yearly goal.
Alas, while the daydream is certainly nice, it is now time to turn back to reality. Take those big-picture visions and break them down into yearly targets. What would you like to accomplish in one year’s time?

This can be anything from completing the first draft of your book or snagging your first assignment as a freelance writer to having something of yours published or writing a brand new short story every month for the entire year. Be sure to pick something (or more than one something!) that would give you a profound sense of satisfaction once it’s done.

Consider what is needed to achieve it.
Here is where we get down to the nitty-gritty by making sure the individual steps you set for yourself to achieve your yearly goal(s) are realistic. Everyone tends to start out with sky-high goals on January 1, only to completely give up by the time the flowers start blooming.

The key to avoiding this slump is to begin with objectives that you can consistently hit without burning yourself out. Think about a word count that you can reasonably hit per day, for example, taking into consideration all the otherobligations you have going on (full-time job, parenting, etc.). These daily goals can vary based on your own personal schedule, so don’t worry about what everyone else is doing.

Could you commit to finishing one chapter of your novel per week? Can you actually set aside X number of minutes or hours per day to write? Can you realistically write 1,500 words per day? Play around with it until you settle on a goal that sounds comfortable for you.

Don’t be afraid to modify those goals.
Even after all that careful preparation, it’s important to keep in mind that those goals you so conscientiously set forth may still not completely work out. And that’s OK! If you discover a few weeks or even months into the new year that a goal isn’t quite gelling, it’s time to modify your plans to something that will. Maybe something unexpected came up that takes away significant chunks of your time, or perhaps you simply underestimated how long it takes you to write a certain number of words.

Life happens—and the sooner you learn to roll with the punches, the sooner you can get back to writing. On the other hand, if you discover that you’re hitting your goals way too easily, revise to make them more ambitious. Flexibility works both ways, so don’t be afraid to make things more challenging for yourself if you have the time.

Keep track of your progress.
When you’re knee-deep in writing a story, it can be too easy to immerse yourself to such an extent that you lose sight of just how far your writing has taken you. And when that happens, discouragement can settle in—especially if the ultimate goal still seems so far away. That’s why it’s essential that you track your progress as you go.

For me, that means jotting down a daily goal and crossing it off at the end of the day when it’s complete. Just that little act of physically putting a line through it gives me a bit of a mental boost and the encouragement to meet my next goal tomorrow. If lines or check marks aren’t your thing, figure out the unique way that motivates you to keep track and keep going.

Treat yourself.
Now we come to the fun part: rewarding yourself for a job well done! Obviously you don’t want to treat yourself after every goal is met (you should have mini daily or weekly goals, after all). It’s important, though, to celebrate your accomplishments by doing something you truly enjoy.

Set a specific milestone that you have to hit—maybe having completed all your goals within a three-month time period or having finished X number of chapters—and, once you have, pat yourself on the back! Your rewards to yourself don’t have to cost a lot of money or even be materialistic at all. Think about what makes you happy and indulge. Whether that’s taking yourself to a movie, meeting up with friends, or just shirking any and all work one day to curl up with a good book, the point of this reward is that it’s a treat that will refill your tank and keep you going till the next milestone.

 

Andrea Moran lives outside of Nashville with her husband and two kids. She’s a professional copywriter and editor who loves all things books. Find her on LinkedIn.

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