Why Writers Must Set Goals And Track Progress (And How to Get it Done)

Do you know where you want your writing career to take you?

Or are you kind of fuzzy on the whole thing. You know, the whole “Well, I guess I’d like to be earning more and maybe get a stronger reputation, the usual stuff, I guess. That would be nice.” mushy mouthed not really committing to anything style of quasi goal.

Nobody is expecting you to have your entire career mapped out to the most minute detail, but you’ll have a much better chance of getting where you want to be if you set measurable goals for yourself and have a system for tracking your progress.

How to Set Goals

Take a moment to think about your dreams for your writing career.

Do you want to be published in the New Yorker? 
Would you like to be number one on Amazon writing books about life? 
Interviewed on the Today Show? 
Win a Booker?

These might seem like pie in the sky goals, but now take a minute to ask yourself:

• Has anyone ever done these things before?
• Can I learn from their experience, either directly or indirectly?

Unless your writing dream is something completely out there like becoming the first Poet Laureate of Mars, the answer to both these questions is yes. Even if what you want is a total pipe dream, there have probably been people who have made progress towards similar goals that you can emulate.

You don’t have to pledge to go for your ultimate goal right now. You can start by setting intermediate goals to get you started on the right path. 

Here are some things to keep in mind as you decide on your goals:

• Is this what I really want to do or is this what I think I should want to do because it seems more prestigious, intellectual or lucrative?
• How will I measure my success with this goal? Ideally, you’ll want to choose some goals that can be objectively measured, such as “send out 30 pitches a month” or “be able to make a living just from writing by 2012.” While it’s best to strive to be a better writer or write stronger characters or more vivid descriptions, these are areas you’ll be working on your entire career. Most people work best when they have a mix of goals you can strike from a list alongside more nebulous milestones.
• Is there any reason why this goal would be impossible to achieve? For example, if you’re a single parent of 3 young children, going off to live in Antarctica for two years so you can write a book about the experience is probably not something you could pull off (although I understand the temptation). While you can and should make some sacrifices to make your dreams come true, it’s unlikely to end well if your specific goal is incompatible with other important things in your life, such as time with your family or financial security. Note: everyone has a different set of things they value and none are better or worse than others. The important thing is to understand what you value and want in your life and choose goals that are compatible with them, not in opposition.
• Your goals should have some sort of time frame, lest you keep putting it off for years or decades. Give yourself enough time to get things done, not enough time to lose motivation or procrastinate endlessly.
• Look for others who have met similar goals so you can learn from them and get a better idea of what the process entails. If you can meet them in person or correspond with them, terrific, but you can also learn a lot from reading biographies, profiles and memoirs. Pay attention to the steps that they took to meet their goals and how they overcame any stumbling blocks along the way. Don’t worry, this isn’t copying, this is building on human experience and without it, civilization would have sputtered and stalled out ages ago. Smart people learn from the experience of others.
• Remember goals can change. Nothing is static and being flexible is an asset, not a weakness. Just be honest with yourself why you are changing your goals and be wary of the danger of never accomplishing anything in the pursuit of new! shiny! By the same token, stubbornly sticking to a goal that you no longer care to accomplish does no-one any favors.

Why You Should Track Your Progress

Imagine you’ve been hired to throw balls into a large container until it’s full. It’s too high for you to see inside, so you have no idea of how many balls you’ve thrown in or how much more you have to fill.

Sounds pretty grim and frustrating doesn’t it?

You’d probably have some vague idea that things are progressing, but without a clear idea of how much you have accomplished or how much more there is to do, you’re likely to lose motivation quickly and put forth the smallest amount of effort possible.

Human beings are hardwired to track their progress. We love timers, timelines, charts and graphs – anything that can give us a clear visual of where we stand. That’s why it’s so important to have goals that can be concretely measured and why tracking your progress can help you stay motivated and on task.

Tracking your progress can be as simple as checking off boxes on a to-do list or crossing off dates on a calendar, to more elaborate methods like complex spreadsheets and graphs. You can choose any method that makes sense for the specific goals you are working on and your own particular personality.

Be faithful in tracking your progress and be sure to check in regularly to see what you’ve done and what remains. It’s important not to beat yourself up over a lack of progress, instead look at it as an opportunity to troubleshoot and look for ways to improve your performance. Give yourself a pat on the back for all you’ve done and reward yourself for milestones. Staying motivated comes from feeling good about what you’ve accomplished and making the decision to look at valleys and setbacks as opportunities to learn and grow.

It’s easy to lose your focus if you don’t have a clear idea of where you are in working on your goals. Many of us over-estimate the work we’re putting in and under-estimate how much time things will actually take.

Tracking our progress gives us important feedback that can prevent us from slacking off.

Have you set goals for yourself? If so, how do you track your progress?

Tracy O’Connor is a phenomenal ghostwriter and potty training specialist. You can (and should) follow her on Twitter.