Goal-setting HERE WE COME! I’ve decided to take a structured and strategic approach toward achieving my future writing goals. I have a lot of writing-related activities (following the self-publication of my first book) that I’d like to accomplish in the next 12 months and it’s going to take an organized effort to pull it off. Now, let me start by stating that I’m in the preliminary stages of determining how this Goal-Setting Process for my writing and other goals is going to look. And as I document the play-by-play to the process, I’m actually going to follow its instructions at the same time. I anticipate that my new-found goal-setting strategy will come in quite handy for some very specific writing goals that I’ve already identified (some of which I will be sharing with you in this blog).
And as I document this process while carrying it out, I want you to feel free to take a hold of its actionable instructions for your own purposes. Sharing is caring, and I want us to accomplish our list of goal to-dos together. Furthermore, the steps to the Goal-Setting Process can be used for any type of goals that you set for yourself (writing and all). So, let’s start with step 1, which involves brainstorming while list-making your goal to-dos. I want you to write down all of the goals that you’d like to set and accomplish within the next 6 months. (You can go out further if you’d like. I just prefer to evaluate 6 month intervals (at a time), which are easier to goal set for versus looking at bigger chunks of time.) And please don’t be inhibited with this exercise. I’m purposely requesting that you use the brainstorming technique to arrive at a comprehensive list of all of the goals that come to mind. Brainstorming allows you to let your thought processes freely flow without editing out your ideas.
After you’ve created your comprehensive list, then I want you to categorize the goals based on time for completion. This activity will create multiple lists from your original one. For example, group together all the goals that you’d like to start on immediately, group together the goals that you’d like to start and complete within the next 3 months, group together the goals that you’d like to start and complete in 3 – 6 months, and group together all the goals that you’d like to start and complete in 6 or more months from now. Your one list then turns into four. NOTE: goals lists provide an excellent visual reference of action items to be completed by the user. Create your lists with the mindset that they’re to capture important information so that you’re relieved from having to recall details from memory. (It’s very easy to forget or overlook tasks if they’re not written or typed out and kept in front of your field of vision.) Out of sight, out of mind, right?
Lastly, I want you to stop and look at the “Goal-Planning Note-Taking” worksheet, which is page 8 of the DEGREES OF MATERNITY TRAVEL PACK that you can access in the following link, Goal-Setting Freebie with Productivity Tips. I’ve provided you with this note-taking worksheet as a tool to help you organize your brainstorming thoughts. Print off and use as many sheets as you need to complete your lists. However, you’re welcome to use any organizational tool that will assist you in capturing your lists in the format you desire. If paper and writing utensils seem too old school for you, then feel free to go more of the electronic route by creating your lists as Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, or in Google Docs, for example. Use your preferred list-making accessory, choosing a format that will be easy to access and make revisions in (as needed). Your lists will be working documents (works-in-progress) that may need changes from time to time.
There you have it. I’ve just introduced you to the first step in the new Goal-Setting Process I’ll be using for my writing and other goals. You can use this process for your particular goal-planning needs as it’ll work for all goals. Furthermore, I promise I won’t leave you hanging, regarding next steps. The remaining steps in the process will be delivered to you as they develop; so, come on this journey worth taking and goal set with me. Let’s get it!
degreesofmaternity.com 