I consider myself an expert at setting goals. I may not always meet them but I can make a great list of goals that meet all the criteria of a doable goal. However, when it comes to my writing I flounder. I think of goals and then discard them as not quite right. I’ve been doing this for a long time and I am getting frustrated. I want to move out of this quagmire and have decided to hash it out once and for all.
One of my problems is that I am fantastic at starting writing projects but I am horrible at finishing and shipping my projects. I have a lot of cool first drafts but I choke when it comes to editing and sending them out. My goal is obviously not to write and leave it in my laptop so I need to focus on completing the projects I already have.
Most of my projects are large. Some are novels, some are series, some are writing projects I am clueless about completing. I am excited about all of them but they feel neverending and if I made them my goal I would have to break these projects down into smaller parts. I know I can do it but it is hard when I don’t know what I need to know.
I have many projects and I feel that most of them could have some success. It is hard to pick one to start on. I pick one and then change my mind the next day. This leap frog game I play means that nothing gets done.
Writing is not a problem. I am writing at least 500 words a day thanks to Project 200. She suggests 200 words a day but I can do that in about 5 minutes so I adjusted the number. However, I often write stuff that is never going to be read by anyone. I find it fun to just start a story without having to figure anything out. I just write to write. I end up with a lot of beginnings but no endings.
Maybe I need to focus on endings instead of projects. Perhaps I need to plan to finish some of my projects but not worry about which project gets finished. I’ll make a list of all my projects and I won’t worry about how much I have left to do on them. Instead I’ll write down what makes each project complete. What is the ending? In most cases the end will be when the piece is published but that can mean many different things depending on the project.
So what is my writing goal for 2014? I want to reach the end of ten projects. It doesn’t matter which projects, the only thing that matters is reaching the finish line. Oh, I like that better. I like to run half marathons so I am no stranger to the finish line. I want to reach the finish line of ten projects. Perhaps I’ll come up with a medal I can give myself whenever I reach a finish line. Perfect.
I hope you reach your goals in 2014. We all have finish lines in our lives. DNF is not an option.
“Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any one thing.” Abraham Lincoln