katarzynaradzka

The truth is that no one ever got anywhere without setting goals, without figuring out what they want to achieve. This is true not only in life but also in our writing. Goals are the fundamental steps in achieving our dreams and getting what we want. Have you ever wondered how billionaires became so successful? Or why the guy down the road is running his own business or that latest writer sold a blockbuster novel while yours is still parked in the bottom drawer?

I can’t remember a time when I didn’t set goals, I must have been too young too know what they were but ever since I can remember I’ve always had a goal that needed to be achieved, whether it was breaking my personal best in the swimming pool when I was twelve or finishing a short story or just paying off the credit card. Goals have always been a part of my life, I don’t know what I would do without them.

We all have goals in one form or another. There are small goals and big goals, a goal to lose five kilograms, to start writing that novel this year, or maybe it’s to take a holiday in summer or make that postponed visit to family on the other side of the country. Goals come in all shapes and sizes and they are not all created equal.

I’ve come across many people who say they’ve set goals but so what if they never achieved them and so they tell me there’s no point in dreaming, ‘I’ve never been able to meet my goals at all, so what’s the point?‘ I just shake my head when I hear this because I know exactly what they are doing wrong. It’s like wanting change when you keep doing the same thing over and over again. It ain’t going to happen love.

In order to achieve your goals you need to take the following steps;

1. Ask yourself, ‘What do I really want and why?’

2. Write your goals down but remember not to stretch it to much. These goals need to be achievable. There’s no point in writing down that you’re going to write a 100,000 novel by the end of the month when you work full time, you don’t even have a story outline and you’ve never written more then 1000 words a day. Sure it’s possible but is it really achievable? You’d have to write over 3000 words per day, every day for an entire month. It’s possible but not probable. Better to say that you’re going to write 500 words per day and when you exceed that goal pat yourself on the shoulder for a job well done.

3. Post your goals somewhere you can see them. If you don’t remind yourself regularly of what you want to achieve it’s less likely to happen. I read somewhere once that millionaires read their goals once per day, whilst billionaires do it three times per day. Worth giving it a go, don’t you think?

4. Take action. This is obvious but many people forget it. Goals won’t achieve themselves and besides nothing ever worth having came without a price. Work hard, work towards your goals, have a plan and you will have almost everything you’ve ever wanted, within reason of course. Who says you can’t have a house, a nice car, great family and friends and a successful career as well as a golden retriever who listens to your every word. Of course you can but is that what YOU really want and how hard are you willing to work for it?

5. Reward yourself for a job well done each time you achieve a goal. Make sure that the rewards much the effort needed to meet your goals. So you’ve finally finished writing those last three chapters, buy yourself a book on writing, or a decent novel. Lost five kilos before summer, purchase that sexy top you’ve been drooling over in the shop window.

So there you have it, five key steps to goal setting. If they are realistic, achievable and what you really want, you will achieve them.

These are my goals for 2009, and hopefully this blog will force me to work harder towards them;

1. Complete writing my chic lit novel

2. Find an agent to represent me

3. Set up my own website

4. Have numerous blogs on the topics that interest me the most

5. Earn a part time income from my writing

6. Be published in at least 20 online and print publications around the world

7. Write an ebook

Are my goals achievable? For me they are. I spend every day working on them and each day I am closer to achieving my goals. You can do the same, let me know how you go. Best of luck.

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