Goal Setting for Creatives
This post is Day 3 of the 28 Day Blogging Breakthrough Challenge. You can chat about the challenge on social media using the hashtag #BloggingBreakthrough. Click here to view all of the challenge prompts. I'd also like to welcome the lovely Rhianne from Little Novelist who has written today's post. She is a true creative and that is what her website embodies.
If there is something I have a love hate relationship with, it's goal setting. For some reason it works with some things I do but not with others; for example, my free email opt-in was taking a while, so back in October I gave myself the deadline of December 30th and it was ready almost a month beforehand. However, with my book I gave myself the deadline of February 28th and I’m definitely not on target with this one – as least 10,000 words behind on it and it’s been getting me down.
One question I always think is – how can I make my goals easier to achieve?
Reading up on it, there is a lot of information and honestly, with so much to soak up it can be hard to remember or even ascertain which information to follow. I’m sure they all work, but as everyone is different, I’m not sure what will work for me or you. Then I found a tweet by my friend Rebecca Viner - she has recently designed her website, rebranded, set herself goals to achieve AND released a workbook – which you should definitely get if you’re just starting out. Her tweet went a bit like this: "Ultimate Vision - 3 objectives - 5 achievable steps. Okay so that's it broken down, now lets create some goals."
Write down Your Ultimate Vision or Goal
Whatever it is that you want to achieve this year, write it down. It can be anything, from putting out your first workbook (free or paid), to setting up your course idea. It doesn't matter what it is that you're aiming for, only that you write it down. Once it's written it can't be forgotten - so write it somewhere you'll remember.
Here's a free worksheet to help!
I’ll even write mine down with you. Although I have more than one!
1. Finish writing my first novel and get it published by November 2016
2. Plan out my Blog Post Scheduling Workshop
3. Release my paid workbook Expanding Novel Ideas
Break It down into Three Objectives
So now we need to break it down to allow us to figure out how to accomplish our vision/goals. Again, I'll use one of mine as an example and you can fill it in on the worksheet for yours.
Click here for the worksheet if you didn't get it earlier!
1. Spend 30 minutes a day writing the novel
2. Save money to get it edited or use bookplanner.com
3. Set it up via Amazon KDP and Createspace for publishing
Those objectives are going to get you to where you need to be. They break it down so your vision or goal doesn’t feel unattainable and so far out of reach that you give up three months in. We want these goals to be reachable and breaking them down makes them just that.
Create Five Action Steps for Each Objective
Action steps are the small steps it takes to get from A to B to C. If your objective is pretty broad like my third one, "Set it up via amazon KDP", well there are a lot of steps that I need to do before it’s set up. So my action steps for the above three objectives would be as follows:
1. Spend thirty minutes a day writing my novel
a. Set up a spreadsheet for my weeks
b. Block out work and exercise time
c. Input time to write blog posts and novel
d. Make sure there is still some free time to be social (don’t want to become a crazy lady)
e. Start the routine as soon as possible.
2. Save money to get it edited or use bookplanner.com
a. Sign up to bookplanner.com
b. Follow instructions via bookplanner
c. Work out monthly budget
d. Summarise how much is plausible to save each month
e. Set up a standing order into a savings account to save the money for editing
3. Set it up via Amazon KDP + Createspace
a. Complete manuscript
b. Get it formatted for mobile
c. Create accounts on KDP and CS
d. Upload covers, documents etc.
e. Announce that it’s for sale!
Once you have those steps they should be a lot easier to follow and hopefully you’ll get things done.
Remember to not put too much pressure on yourself otherwise you’ll end up giving up on the goals. Instead give yourself an estimated time for each task.
Feel free to leave me a comment and let me know how you got on!
Today's Task
Go through the steps Rhianne has outlined to create your goals for 2016.
Make sure you write them down, split them up into objectives and create action steps for everything. That way, you'll have no problem ticking them off your list!
TO GETTING A BREAKTHROUGH WITH YOUR BLOG
Find Rhianne here:
Let's talk in the comments - what goals are you setting yourself for 2016? Do you think you'll give this goal setting process a try? I know I will!