Where do you see yourself as a writer two years from now? 5 years? Or how about 10 years?

We need to know where we’re going to make sure we’re taking the next steps towards are goals. Having a plan to reach your goal can help you visualize how to get there faster.

Short-term and Long-term Goals

Some of your short-term goals may include:

• Finishing your book
• Starting that blog
• Getting a certain high number of followers on twitter, likes on Facebook or subscribers on your blog
• Getting a book deal from a major publishing house
• Selling a amount of your books
• Long time goals

Some of your long-term goal as a writer may include:

• Having written a certain number of books published in the next 5 to 10 years
• Make a living from your books
• Becoming a full-time author-entrepreneur
• Having a professional speaking career
• Winning an award for your books or blog
• But how do we obtain the goals we want to achieve as a writer?

None of these goals are easy and they all take time and patience whether we have it or not. So what does this all boil down to? How do we achieve the goals we want in our career? Do we read a how-to book?

Well, while some books are helpful some of them talk in the general sense and aren’t very specific to our individual goals as writers. A bunch of try-our-best-it-will-workout type of thing. And I agree that we should try our best. But there is a lot of planning that goes into getting our goals done.

Think back to the time when you planned something and it went through well. Like very well because of the fact that you planned for it. Now think about the specifics. What did you do that made it work out? Was it prepping? Practicing? Studying? Learning?

For each of your goals as a writer you have to prepare to become a multi-tasker. You have to be able to balance a personal life, writing life and maybe even another job if you have one. On top of all that you have to find time to get your name out there by marketing yourself and your books. By prioritizing your goals with short terms first and long terms last then you may find some order in your hectic but ambitious life.

Step 1: What do you really want?

Write down all your short-term goals about writing that you know you can achieve before the year’s over. It should be tangible and remember that short-term are shorter projects than long-term and easier to reach.

Step 2: Put them in order.

It can be an order of importance, easiest to hardest, shortest to longest (time wise). The order you want to meet them.

Step 3: Figure out what you can do now:

Even your biggest goals have the smallest thing you can get started on with today. But keep working every day. Start now while you’re still thinking about it. Don’t procrastinate because procrastination leads to more procrastination. I should know. I feel like I’m the queen.

Step 4: Endure

Remember that they are your long and short time goals and not your over night goals. All goals take time because if they didn’t, they wouldn’t be a goal. They would just be something you had to do.

But because it’s a goal we know that it’s not something easily done.  Focus on your writing, research your subjects and read books in your genre.

You’re going to fail.

At some point in your life and writing career you’re going to fail at something. It’s not to scare or frustrate you but I’m just being honest.

I’ve been told before that my writing could have been better. I’ve lost writing contests.

I’ve had people read my stuff and be confused. Failure happens.

Life happens.

I’m telling you, you will fail not to psych you out but to prepare you and not have you think if you have done all your goals you’d do them without failing or messing up.

You will Succeed.

Hard work and patience pays off even if you don’t recognize it at first. Your goal will come to you like a long-awaited child’s birth, clock out time from work, or the timer going off for your favorite meal.

With focus and help from people who’ve done it before you. You will succeed and you will be able to help other be like you.

What now?

Think about what you really want to get out of your writing career and make it happen with these steps. Don’t wait. Don’t underestimate yourself and don’t forget what you’ve learnt over the years.

Most important step?

Believe that you can do it.

I can say all the motivational words in the world but if they’re fallen on deaf ears there would be no point. You have to do the work if you want your goals just like I have to work for mine.

We have to pull our own weight but we’re all in this together.

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Happy writing,

Shaquanda