Are You Achieving Your Writing Goals?Written by Mridu Khullar
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It’s also important to incorporate life changes into your goal-setting. I lost two grandparents this year, which not only forced me to take a physical vacation from work, but an emotional one as well. I needed to give myself time to heal in order to get back to work refreshed and with new vigor. If you’re going through stressful times, don’t expect yourself to be as productive as say, when you’re having a great year. Cut down on your goal list a little and be easy on yourself. Making yourself work too hard when you’re not physically or emotionally ready to, will not help you meet your goals; instead it’ll detract you from them. Are you confusing your long-term and short-term goals? Writing a novel is my long-term goal. A “someday.” But I’m not there yet. And I know I’m not going to be able to work on my dream novel this year, next year or maybe even one after that. If I do, I’ll be taking time away from non-fiction work that pays bills and for next couple of years, I can’t afford to do that. Putting “write a novel” on my list of goals for year isn’t going to make me feel too good about myself, especially as this goal gets carried forward year after year. Instead, I’m putting it on my “to do before I’m 30” list. That way, it’s not too near, and it’s not so far away that it becomes a distant dream instead of reality. Once I’ve cracked a good number of national magazines, finished and published a couple of non-fiction books and can afford to take time away from non-fiction, I can consider taking a risk with fiction. Are you keeping track? The biggest problem I face right now is keeping track of where all time went. While to an outsider it may seem like I’m working almost all time, truth is, I waste a lot of time on e-mail, reading newsletters, networking with fellow writers and well, checking e-mail. To counter this problem, I started keeping a daily journal to keep track of where my writing time was really going. My productivity’s almost doubled since I started doing this. Keeping an hour-to-hour or even a daily tab of what I’d achieved for that day kept me accountable and ready to tackle next important task on my list, rather than checking e-mail one more time. And if an entry for a particular day reads, “Revised article for Wedding Dresses, conducted research on a new idea,” I’d immediately know that I needed to increase my productivity, and by how much. Sure, checking e-mail is work too, but it’s not bringing in any money. So I make it secondary work and answer incoming mails only once a day, unless they need urgent attention. Are your priorities straight? Which brings me to my next point. Set your priorities right and work top to bottom. A technique that works for many people is to make a daily list of things that need to be done. Then, in order of priority, tackle them one by one, striking them off list. At end of day, even if you have some work unattended to, it can easily be transferred to next day’s list, since it’ll be at lowest priority. Do you have a fixed schedule? I still struggle with this one, but each time I’m able to set a schedule for myself, I find that I’m happier, more energetic and much more productive. Getting up at six in morning one day, not sleeping for another two days and then getting a whole lot of slumber on and off for next three days eats into your energy and taxes your brain much more than it should. It also becomes a cause for unnecessary delays and interruptions. Instead of surrendering to your muse whenever it shows up, program your body to work for a fixed time each day. Your brain will automatically recognize that as time to work and get on job. Make your routine consistent. When our body gets used to doing something at a particular time, we’re able to do with ease. So if you’ve decided to write five pages each morning before kids get up, make sure to do it. Answer these questions honestly and get to work on these techniques. You’ll find all your goals ticked off your list by end of this year.
Mridu Khullar is a full-time freelance writer and the editor-in-chief of www.WritersCrossing.com. Sign-up for her *free* 12-day e-course "Write Query Letters That Sell" at http://www.writerscrossing.com/ecourses.html
| | Keeping a Love JournalWritten by Catherine Franz
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Possible Memorable Items to Include Here are a few items that can help expand your love writing.. Of course, these items will transition with your intention, style, and voice. 1. Start by acknowledging event. The place, day and time. 2. What was your emotional state at time? Did you feel sad, say so. Angry, shocked, or confused, say so. Even love letters and journals have more than one emotion. Were you grieving at time? 3. Describe any qualities -- physical, emotional, professional or social. Tell what you admired about them (or yourself). Is there something you miss? Are they or were they a great teacher, storyteller, devoted father, mother, aunt, uncle? 4. Remember little things. The small stuff does count. Was there a particular smell you remember? What were they wearing, or not. 5. Have you had this experience before. If so, when? How are they different? How are they same? 6. Did a book, quote, musical piece, photograph, or song lyrics provide comfort or expand experience? 7. Who else was involved? Did they build with experience or take from it? 8. What makes this love different? Or same? And if same, same to what? 9. Was this an everyday event that turned extraordinary? Why? Whether a love letter is your intention or to begin with a list, don't forget to love yourself and to add yourself to menu of a love-writing experience. Most of time we look for love in other places when it truly needs to be recognized from within first. Take time, find magic you hold inside you, find love that you hold for relationships, for what you have accomplished, or desire to accomplish, or what type of love affair you want to have with world while you are still in it. Love is a gift, whether presented only in a journal or expanded into something wrapped and bowed. The expense is only that of pen and paper but its cost is time and thought. Place love on your calendar this week. It is as much a gift to you as it is for everyone else in your life, past or present. © Copyright, Catherine Franz. All rights reserved.
Catherine Franz, 20 year international journaling instructor, including several US Presidents and First Ladies, and author of two booklets on hundreds of tips and techniques. Visit the store at: http://www.AbundanceCenter.com
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