A new year, a new you! Yes, ’tis the season for making all the goals that no one ever intends to keep.
We all want that fresh start or “do-over” for the new year. Why else do people crowd the gyms only to get on equipment they have no idea how to work? We all live under the impression that this year will be better. Everyone is looking for the magic bullet to un-complicate and reorganize their life. Let me tell you the secret…
Resolutions fail!
By February, disappointment sets in when their so-called resolutions have failed. This leads to feeling like a failure. That leads everyone going back into bad habits with the wish that maybe things will be better next year.
Well, don’t wait for next year! Stop with making resolutions!
Instead, let’s focus on making GOALS!
With goals, you can set up several “points” throughout the year. So if you don’t exactly make your goal, then move one and focus on the upcoming one. Better to take on the year in small portions than tackling it all at once.
So in the spirit of the new year, let’s see how you can easily boost your own writing career with a few easy to manage goals.
Goal #1:
Write Every Day
It’s hard to believe but sometimes as a writer, we do not write every day. There’s marketing, social media, meetings, etc. that takes away and bogs down our day. But writing is our basic skill. Think of it as your muscle. Like any muscle, if you don’t exercise it, there’s a chance of atrophy. Don’t let your writing skills fade away.
Dedicate at least a half hour and put the proverbial pen to the paper. Keep a diary. Update your blog. Jot down ideas for a novel. Whatever it takes. Just get down to business and create. Go out there, find something to explore and write about it. Document everything. Don’t focus on creating the perfect novel/blog post/journal entry. Just the fact you are writing is an accomplishment enough.
Goal #2:
Market, Market, Market!
As I have mentioned before, without any marketing no one will be reading your writing. We all would love to believe that there’s a magical online source where your work can get discovered. Not to mention finding the gold goose offering of a six figured writing gig. Pssst! Yeah, that doesn’t happen. You have to promote and market yourself on a daily basis. Schedule time to market every day! Remember reading someone’s blog post does not count! Get out there (virtually) and introduce yourself. Send off those introductory letters to editors. Ask to guest post on a blog. Connect on social media. Now is the time to get off your own ass and promote. Everyone wants to be a freelancer but it will take a lot of work to actually make a career of it. Get out there and make your name (and voice) heard.
Goal #3:
Read, Learn and Live!
The world is changing on a daily basis. Gone are the days of sitting in a stuffy old library and composing a letter by candlelight. Yes, I know that’s really old school. Writers need to expand their own knowledge of the social media world. Embrace the technology! Just think how much social media has changed in the past 10 years. We went from the college-only Facebook to now live broadcasting on several different platforms. This is a great way to tie back to the previous goal and market yourself. Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram all have several nuances about them.
Learn and study
Find a way to master your social media world. Stop treating your business like it’s 1992. It is time to move out of the dark ages. Technology is here, so start using it to your advantage. Do not ignore this important aspect of the world. If you do, the greater the chances of getting left behind. Remember no one is going to wait for you. Keep your mindset to current.
Are you reading up on other people who are successes in your field? If not, you better start. Most people give a little inking on how they made themselves a success. Take their blueprint and copy it for yourself. I’m not saying copying everything they do but go out there and see what works and what doesn’t. Are you interested in someone else’s success? Drop them a line. It does not hurt to ask how they mastered their craft. What is the worst that can happen? They don’t respond. You may get lucky and find yourself a mentor.
Just get out there and read too. Pick up a book, magazine or whatever. If you don’t read, you can’t write. The mind must always be moving forward. See how others craft their writing. Take notes. Reading can be beneficial to help you craft our own style of writing. Absorb everything around you. Not only will it enrich your writing but help your life as well.
Goal #4:
Stop Procrastinating!
This is a big one and I’m guilty of it too. Stop putting things off for another day. Sometimes we get into the mindset of only focusing on the minimum. Let me only do what needs to get done today. Get that thought out of your head! The more we push off for another day, the more stuff piles up and we get frustrated. Once frustration sets in, it can be hard to bounce back from it. You start going down the rabbit hole of trouble. I took some time off last summer and it was a good four months before I caught up on my business. Don’t put yourself unnecessarily behind in your career.
The old saying goes that tomorrow isn’t guaranteed (or it’s that a song lyric?). Focus on today and try to accomplish as much as you can.
With these simple, easy goals you can ease into a new year and put the focus on boosting your writing career. So what are your goals for 2019? Let me know in the comments below.
