So You Think You’ve Set Your 2018 Writing Goals?
I Capricorn’d the EFF out of my 2018 writing goals for your reading pleasure.
I did some soul-searching this weekend.
As you may have noticed, I didn’t publish a story yesterday. In between drinking Bloody Marys and losing my mind over Ulta’s 20% off store-wide sale, I thought more about my writing goals for 2018.
Like I wrote in Saturday’s story, I’ve been so excited about writing lately. In addition to posting on Medium almost every single day this month, I’ve also had three stories accepted and published on various travel websites.
*pats self on the back and only feels little weird about it*
Going into 2018, I want to capitalize on the momentum I’ve got. An object in motion something something INERTIA !!!
A goal should scare you a little and excite you a lot.
— Joe Vitale
It would be so easy to list out a zillion writing goals and try to go after them all at once come Jan. 1. Here’s a few of the things I was considering:
- Write 1,000 words per day
- Publish on Medium five days per week
- Send x number of pitches per week
- Publish on Backpacking Brunette twice per week
- Write an eBook about travel (exact topic TBD)
- Start a weekly newsletter
- Publish stories in x number of publications
Nice, right? Do them all, yes? NO!
That’s a surefire way to burn myself out.
I want to capitalize on my momentum — not overwhelm myself with it.
So, I’ve come up with a plan….DRUM ROLL PLEASE !!!
I’ve chosen four goals from the above list. Rather than works towards them all at once, I’ve decided to break 2018 into four parts. For three months, I’ll focus on the first goal. For the next three months, I’ll focus on the second goal. So on and so forth.
If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal. Not to people or things. — Albert Einstein
This way, I can accomplish more than one writing goal in 2018. I’ve ordered the goals so as to build upon one another.
January-March: Publish on Medium five days per week
- Starting the year off with this goal will help me create a regular writing schedule.
- I’ll also (hopefully) build an audience.
April-June: Send 3 pitches per week
- In the second quarter, I’ll shift my focus to getting published.
- I prefer to word goals in a way that puts me in control. If I were to say “publish stories in x number of publications”, that takes the situation out of my hands. Me like agency !!!
- With a new goal at the forefront, I’ll probably scale back on Medium. Right now, I’m thinking three stories per week.
July-September: Publish a weekly newsletter
- With the audience I’ve built during the first two quarters, I’ll hopefully have some people who won’t mind (perhaps even want) me in their inboxes once a week.
- I love newsletters. I think they’re so much more intimate than blog posts and a really cool way to connect with readers.
- Even after I start the newsletter, I plan to continue pitching publications. By that time, I will most likely have made some connections which should make things easier.
October-December: Write an eBook about travel (exact topic TBD)
- This goal is, perhaps, the one I’m most excited about. I’ve been thinking about writing an eBook for awhile now.
- You can’t just throw an eBook out into the world though. You’ve got to give your baby a soft place to land. During the first three quarters, I’ll be hard at work cultivating an audience.
- It would be amazing to have the eBook ready in time for 2019, so I could help people with their travel resolutions.
There you have it! My writing goals for 2018 !!! Wow, it feels so damn good to have them all written out. Accountability is the spice of life.
Have you set your 2018 writing goals yet?
Hi, I’m Alex! After living in Madrid, Spain, for two years, I recently moved to Mexico. Tacos and sunshine, baby! When I’m not writing, I’m reading, running or drinking red wine. For more of my writing, check out my blog: Backpacking Brunette.
