Are You Setting Goals or Settling?

I love my lists. I remember during my high school days I had little pieces of paper all around my room with different to-do lists. And I will tell you, (don’t judge), I loved the feeling of crossing off each item once I completed it.

As I began writing, I’d hear people talk about the importance of setting writing/speaking goals and writing them down. I never did. Last fall I received an email from an author who was selling a large, spiral-bound 2019 writing planner. I had to have it. This would be my chance to do what other authors did. I didn’t purchase it until after the New Year but I knew I’d still have most of eleven months to use it. I was so excited I couldn’t wait to begin organizing my writing, ready to cross off those writing to-do’s. The day it arrived felt like Christmas morning. I showed my family (not interested) and tore the plastic off. As I opened the front pages, I was faced with year-long goals. Pages and pages of plans for 2019, dreamboards for writing, marketing, etc. It took days to complete. Discouragement set in, and, in fact, I put it down for a couple of days—er, weeks.

I picked it back up in March. Then I had surgery, and it sat on the edge of my desk until recently. A friend posted on social media about how her planner helped her meet goals, and how many words she wrote that day. I felt jealous. Why wasn’t that me? Was I too lazy? Fear of failure? Yes. That night I opened the planner and prioritized not only my writing but my life goals for the week. It felt great!

I use it every day now, and just like high school, I check off completed goals-whether it’s writing or cleaning out our front closet. I can’t express the satisfaction I feel as I check off each item. I know this week I haven’t met all my writing goals, because, well, life happens. But it’s okay. I told myself I have more completed than if I hadn’t written at all, and as I reviewed my weekly goals, I saw how much I had accomplished. Next week I’ll create new goals, and maybe I’ll meet them all.

Setting goals has also helped me prioritize the important things from time-wasters. There have been things I needed to say “no” to because, as I look at my week, I knew it would be difficult to meet my goals and fit in those extras.

How about you? Do you write your goals down? Do you have goals for the year, whether for writing or general life? Or are you like me, afraid to make them for fear of falling short? I’d love to hear what you do!