Want to smash your writing goals? Then you need a plan.
If you followed along with last week’s Back To School Goal Setting for Writers session, then you already know what you want to achieve with your writing this year. (If you didn’t, go back and read it now!)
So now you know the What, it’s time to deal with the How. And How, comes down to one simple idea:
Plan the work, then work the plan.
As a full time writer, this philosophy has always steered me well. I’ve written and (traditionally) published over 40 books by several different pen names, over the last eight years – and I can tell you for a fact that wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t had a plan.
Now, I’m going to show you how to plan your writing year to achieve your goals.
Plan Small
By breaking your goals down into manageable parts
Organise your goal list
This is where the real work starts.
You have 12 goals to achieve in the next year. We’re going to break that down – first, into 4 quarters, then into months and even weeks.
Start by looking for connections between your goals. Are there some that need to be completed before you can move onto the next? If so, put them into a logical order on your list.
Next, consider the size of the goal. ‘Write Book’ is a lot bigger than ‘Set up an email newsletter.’ Put a star or other symbol next to the four biggest goals.
If you’re struggling because they’re all huge, it’s time to be realistic. Could you really achieve more than one of those big goals in a three month stretch? If not, consider making some of them smaller and more achievable.
Pick another symbol and go with your gut. Mark the four goals that matter most to you, that you’re most excited to achieve or action, or that just feel right. (These might be the same as your big goals, or different – either is fine.)
Set out your annual writing plan
Now you’ve got a feel for the order, size and importance of your goals, it’s time to start planning out when and how you’re going to achieve them.
To do this, split a piece of paper into 4 boxes, one for each quarter of the year. Now, assign one big goal to each quarter, then fit in the other goals equally between the boxes until you have 3 goals per quarter.
Look at them again. Do the quarters feel balanced, with the same sort of scale of goal for each section?
(Ideally, you want one big goal, one medium goal and one small goal per quarter, but obviously this is hugely subjective, so use your own judgement.)
Are the goals in a logical order through the year, with ones that build on earlier goals coming later in the sequence?
Once you’re happy with the plan, it’s time to break those goals down even further.
Turn goals into tasks, habits and milestones
For each of your goals, jot down the following:
– Milestones on the way to achieving the goal (e.g. Complete first draft of book)
– Habits that will help you reach the goal (e.g. Write 1,000 words every day)
– Single action tasks required to achieve the goal (e.g. Set up newsletter templates)
Make your month by month writing plan
Take a fresh piece of paper, split into 12 areas, each labeled with the 12 months, from September to August (or whenever you’re starting this!).
Now start assigning habits, tasks and milestones to each month, according to your quarterly goal plan. Start with the foundation habits that make the goal possible, then add in the tasks and finally the milestones.
Example Goal Plan for the next three months
Quarterly Goals:
- Write first draft of book
- Set up author newsletter
- Research agents and make a submission shortlist
September:
HABIT: Write 1000 words every day
TASK: Research mailing list software and sign up to the one that best suits my needs
TASK: Watch the training videos for my mailing list software
TASK: Research who represents my favourite authors who write similar books to me
TASK: Check the websites of the big agencies to find out their submission guidelines and which agents rep my kind of book
October:
HABIT: Continue to write 1000 words every day
TASK: Set up templates for my newsletters
TASK: Set up automatic emails for new sign ups
TASK: Set up an Agents list on Twitter and follow suitable agents as I discover them
TASK: Monitor agent wish list tweets for any that fit my book
November:
HABIT: Continue to write 1000 words every day
MILESTONE: Finish first draft of book!
TASK: Set up sign up forms for my newsletter on my website
TASK: Post about my newsletter on social media
MILESTONE: Send my first newsletter!
TASK: Gather all my agent research and make my first round submission list, along with submission requirements and details for each agent
Your plan might take a bit of rejigging to get it right. Pay attention to how much work you’re giving yourself in any given month – too much, and it won’t be sustainable; too little, and you won’t see yourself making progress and might lose motivation.
As a rule, only set yourself one new habit a month, so you can really focus on making it stick. And remember that we all have a tendency to underestimate how much time tasks will take…
Keep playing around with it until it feels balanced and achievable – but still a little bit of a stretch.
The final step: use the plan.
However you normally plan your work – task management app, bullet journal, spreadsheet, dated planner – take the time now to write in the actions and habits you’ll be actioning for the first month, and when you plan to do them.
(You could do the whole year, but personally I tend to take it a month at a time, so I have room to be flexible if situations or priorities change.)
Then, USE IT. Check your plan every morning. Add a habit tracker to your phone. Tick off actions as you complete them, and celebrate when you smash your goals. You’ve earned it!
Further Reading:
Here are some more blogs from Time To Write that you might find helpful to plan your writing year:
6 tips for making time to write
How to set the right writing goals
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