Writing Resolutions: Setting Achievable Goals for the New Year

Setting New Year's writing resolutions is an excellent way to encourage your progress over the year. The beginning of the year is an exciting time. You want to start fresh and start the year off strong. Unfortunately, the excited feeling about being in the new year doesn't last forever. Once it wears off, it can be difficult to keep up with your resolutions, so you want to ensure the goals you set are realistic and easy to manage. Overwhelming yourself will only slow your progress.

Setting Achievable Writing Goals for the New Year

While you may be tempted to set big goals for the year, such as publishing your own book, starting a blog, or sharpening your skills by taking classes, it is a good idea to start small. You can still work toward these objectives, but they should be broken down into smaller and more manageable steps. This makes sticking to your resolutions much less overwhelming and easier to focus on.

Instead of making a plan to publish your book, start with something small, such as making sure you write every day. Even just 1,000 words a day can make a difference. You want to be able to track your progress and see where you're at in terms of reaching your goal. This will make your dreams feel like they are within reach without making you feel like you're drowning under the pressure.

Setting Your Goals 

Sometimes, life doesn't go as expected. When you set smaller objectives, it is easier to ensure you are still making progress when life gets in the way. If you have massive goals for the year but then get caught up with something that happens in life, you may find yourself with much less time. When you have smaller resolutions, it becomes much easier to keep up with them, even when things don't go as anticipated.

There are three simple rules to consider when coming up with New Year's writing strategies:

1. Start small: Don't set goals you are unlikely to reach. This can be very discouraging, making it even more challenging. You want purposeful author goals that are easily accomplished or that are smaller steps toward a larger goal.
2. Take it one step at a time: Don't rush to complete your resolutions or goals. Trying to think about all of them at once is overwhelming, so instead, try to focus on one thing at a time.
3. Give yourself room for mistakes: Keeping all your resolutions and trying to reach all your goals is exciting, but make sure to leave yourself room to make mistakes. Mistakes will happen, and there will always be bumps in the road, but don't get discouraged.

Your resolutions should be things you know you can accomplish. Not something that will stress you out. When you force yourself to do something in an attempt to reach your dreams, you are much more likely to lose interest. You want to keep marching toward your goals without feeling burnt out or uninterested, so always ensure you leave room to take a break. Be kind to yourself and be realistic with your goals. Life can be busy, so it's okay to cut yourself a little slack.

Helpful Tips to Stay on Track

Staying on track with your resolutions for the new year can be challenging, especially if you are trying out new things and don't know what to expect. When you are working toward your goals, it helps when you can see the progress being made. Instead of trying to think about everything at once, you can look at things one at a time and figure out how you will achieve your goals.

Tracking your progress gives you the opportunity to see how you're advancing toward your goals, which can help motivate you to keep going. If your plan is to write every day, find time to set aside every day for this task. Sometimes, writing a few words a day can help get your creative juices flowing. When you find yourself unable to write one day, try something else that will help get you into a creative mood, such as listening to music, watching a movie or play, or going for a walk.

Tracking your progress with your resolutions is important because it shows you how much you've done and how much you have left without being overwhelming. There are plenty of ways to track your progress, so find the method that works best for you. Some people prefer creating a schedule to ensure they have time every day to work toward those goals, while others simply like to keep a journal.

Using the calendar on your phone can also help you keep track of your goals by reminding you to set the time aside to work toward them. When you have a bad day, don't get upset with yourself about it, and try to write down your reasons for being unable to complete the objective for the day. Everyone makes mistakes, and everyone has bad days. Don't let them discourage you.

Giving and Receiving Support 

Having a healthy support system can make reaching your goals much easier. When there is someone cheering you on and reminding you of your resolutions, it is easier to keep up with them. Try sharing your resolutions with your friends. You can work together to keep each other on track and stay motivated. Sometimes, having a little encouragement can make all the difference.

When giving your support, you want to acknowledge the resolutions your friends or family made and why they are important. Knowing why these things are necessary helps you understand their reasoning for making these resolutions and helps you feel more connected. Encourage others by reminding them of their resolutions and why they made them. You can also help them track their progress and cheer them on when they surpass another milestone.

Receiving support is a little different and varies from person to person. Sometimes, having support simply means you have someone to talk to or someone who shares the same interests as you. Sharing things that interest you with others helps with motivation, especially when it is something you both talk about with passion.

Final Thoughts

When working on your writing aspirations for the new year, you first want to think about where you want to be by the end of the year. All the small goals you make should work toward something bigger, making it even better when you reach your goals. Every milestone is important. Find resolutions that work best for you and your lifestyle. By being realistic with your goals, you find yourself feeling less pressure to reach your massive goals, which makes it easier to progress.

Tracking your progress is necessary because it lets you know where you're at. There will be good days and bad days, but by keeping track of both, you can figure out what works for you and what doesn't. Take things one step at a time, and don't overwhelm yourself. If you are having trouble with your resolution, find someone to talk to. Keeping yourself surrounded by a good support system makes it easier to stay on track, especially when you take the time to encourage each other.

Finally, do what you love. No matter what your dreams may be, it is important to do the things that bring you joy. These plans shouldn't define your year, but they can let you know where you want to go. When you know where you want to go and what you want to do, it takes all of the pressure off figuring out your resolutions and makes it possible to set smaller and more achievable objectives.