New Year’s Resolutions. Could we have a more stereotypical first post of the year topic, please?

Maybe. But you’re going to get this one anyway.

Until recently, such giant year-long goals had very little appeal to me. I liked to think that if I wanted to do something, I’d be motivated enough to get it done without a giant “MEET YOUR GOAL” sign hanging over my desk in my office or slapped on the front of my planner. And setting a goal for the entire year was unrealistic because life is unpredictable and who knew where my obligations might need to shift to as the year progresses.

Basically, I played the game safe—and a bit arrogantly.

The reality is that no matter how organized (or chaotic) your life is and no matter how certain (or scrambled) your writing routine is, setting a few goals is a great beginning of year practice.

There are oodles of posts out there for writers about how to set goals. Check out this one from Writers.com about setting SMART goals as a writer. Have a Google if you want help getting started.

I don’t want to talk about establishing your goals so much as sticking with them.

Perhaps this would be better as a February post (you know, when all the gyms are suddenly empty and everyone laughs at how “naïve” they were a month ago), but I’m writing this now because a key to successfully meeting goals is having a plan for doing that from the start. Besides. January’s over halfway through (*gasp*!).

So here we go. My five tips for how to keep your writing goals once you’ve set them.

Tip #1: Create accountability.

One of the best ways to keep to your goals is to share them with others. Social posts are fine—likes and comments can be encouraging—but I recommend finding a person or small group of people who can really hold you accountable. The kinds of people who check in when they haven’t heard from you. Who ask for drafts of your next chapter or send you texts late at night when they know you want to be clacking away at your keyboard. It helps for these accountability partners to know you and what gets you moving. They don’t have to be writers, but having people who understanding the writing process and needs of a writer (no matter your level) can make their questions, input, and encouragement more poignant to your situation.

Joining a writing organization is a great way to connect with writing support groups. If you’re a fiction writer who identifies as Christian, I recommend joining the American Christian Fiction Writers for access to both digital and in-person writing groups.

Tip #2: Find motivation (and take notes for later!).

What motivates you to write? This doesn’t have to be an existential philosophy, though it certainly can be. One thing I try to remind myself is that I want to write for my children. I want them to see themselves in the stories I write; I want them to have words of mine to read, maybe getting conversations we’d never have in person because reading can just be easier for the hard things.

Another less philosophical, big-picture motivation for me is music. I’ve found that certain artists and soundtracks immediately turn my mind to the characters in my novel. I have a stack of CDs in my car that I listen to on my commute to work; almost every drive results in a bit of dialogue or insight to a character’s state of mind (which I always try to jot down—usually in the Notes section of my phone, once the car is in Park, of course).

Tip #3: Carve out time.

I say “carve out” time because we can’t ever “make” time—after all, there’s only so much as there is—and because sometimes the process of setting aside time for our own writing practice can be like dragging a chisel through a hardwood plank. You meet resistance in your own body and mind, family and work obligations, and those random happenings that throw any sort of plan out the window.

But—and I’m preaching to myself here—if you want to write, there is time in your day (week, etc.) to write. You might have to search for it, and it might not be as much as you wish. But it’s there.

It doesn’t have to be much. You could commit to waking up fifteen minutes earlier so you have time to write before the kids get up. Commit your lunch break once or thrice a week to writing instead of going out. I had a friend who forwent any social activities on Saturdays and committed the entire day to his writing practice (and for the first few months, he needed a friend to call his commitment to mind every time someone invited him to something!).

Find what fits your lifestyle and jealously guard that time. It is a sacrifice—and it’s worth it.

Tip #4: Focus.

This is related to the “specific” part of SMART goals. I find that the more focused my goal is, the more likely I am to try to and successfully achieve it. Focusing my energy helps me break a giant goal into bite-sized chunks. And especially in this busy stage of my life, tackling a feast (because a novel is a chunk!) one bite at a time, with permission to leave the table and come back when I can, is way more realistic than sitting and feasting for hours straight—which means I’m more inclined to actually give it a try.

How you choose to focus your writing energy is up to you. You can focus on number of words written a day. Number of minutes you spend on your novel each week. The number of short stories you want to submit to anthologies or contests. Your writing goal can be something like journalling for an extra ten minutes each morning or taking time to warm up with a fun poem before launching into your work.

Establish a focus that allows you to settle into your writing for however much time you’ve given yourself. It’s not a contest or a race—it’s you, your words, and your time.

Tip #5: Be brave & gracious to yourself.

I’ve mentioned before that my 2022 goal was to finish the manuscript for my YA novel. Guess what? It didn’t happen. But guess what else? It’s okay.

Setting writing goals—especially when you have so many other demands on your time and energy—takes bravery. It takes audacity. You are telling yourself and the world that your words are worth the effort and set-aside time. You are overcoming the fear of failure and committing to nurturing an important part of who you are. That’s bravery, y’all. Celebrate it.

Setting goals—of any kind, really—also takes grace. You have to be gracious to yourself for the days you don’t meet your goal. For the months you don’t hit your word count. For the year you didn’t complete the manuscript. Being gracious to yourself doesn’t mean making excuses and it doesn’t mean you give up when you fall short; instead, grace gives you the power to look at your goals, your writing, yourself and, in many ways, marvel at the tree line.

So… ready to make and keep some writing goals?

Take a few moments to think about your writing practice. Where you are and where you want to be. Maybe go for a walk or journal as you reflect. Set a goal or two for 2023. Share it with us in the comments if you’d like—then get to it! 🙂