My writing friend, Jan Morrison, had a great post on Thursday about the book The Kaizen Way by Robert Maurer.
Jan explains that Maurer’s approach to life involves asking ourselves small questions to move forward toward goals. Jan said that by posing small questions to ourselves we don’t freak ourselves out by goal-planning and subconsciously sabotage our efforts.
I like this idea a lot because while I’m a huge list-maker and goal-planner, the thought of the Big Picture of the next 20 years of my writing life tends to freak me out a little. If you were to ask me, off the cuff, where I’d like to be with my writing 20 years from now, for example, I’d probably be so overwhelmed that I wouldn’t even know how to answer the question.
In fact, my agent asked me a similar question about a year ago (we were having a coffee together at a conference) and I looked at her like she’d grown horns.
Sometimes I feel like I can’t see the forest for the trees—I’m just so darned busy. I’m working toward the next deadline at all times.
What my agent’s question forced me to do last year, though, was to actually pull myself out of my minute to minute scrambling and think about the big picture. It still freaks me out, though. My answer to my agent’s question, at the time, was to say that I wanted to keep doing what I was doing right now. That I was interested in exploring other genres and ideas….later on. I was very vague about it all.
Jan posted her list of small questions to herself on her blog post. She gives some good direction on how to start thinking about goals for life and writing. And asking myself questions is a much nicer way to approach goal-setting than making a bulleted list.
I also like the idea of breaking down goals (once I’ve identified them) into small steps…it makes it so much easier to reach a goal.
Have you set goals for yourself, as a writer?
Staying focused doesn’t come any easier with age. I am now attempting to form the habit of making a list, before bedtime, of what I plan to accomplish the next day. When I actually do this, I find it is easier to hit the ground running without spinning my wheels. (Okay, so I’ve got the Indy 500 on my mind.)
Thanks for posting this. I’ve been pretty aimless for a long time, and I really needed to hear it. {{huggs}}
Elizabeth – I read and really enjoyed Jan’s post, too. I agree with you that life – the small details of the daily writing life – do get in the way of setting and achieving long-term writing goals sometimes. I think we just get caught up in what we’re writing at the moment, and in all the hubbub of just daily life that it’s hard to think long-term. As for me, I actually have set some goals. I recently had a good conversation with one of my first readers about them, and it’ll be interesting to see if I end up doing what I want.
Umm…goals…that would probably be a good idea :)
There are times when I even find my small goals overwhelming – I am very busy this year with my day job, but I have several writing projcets I would love to find time for – unfortunately one is to write the second and third books of a trilogy, so I think that is a good candidate for being cut down to size and maybe I should only think as far as the second!
I think sometimes you need the inspiration of larger, longer-term goals to get you through the day to day stuff – if you can tell yourself it’s all going to be worthwhile some day, then that can keep you writing through these sluggish times.
I loved Jan’s post too. Long term goals kinda freak me out. I’m more of a step at a time kind of person. It’s good to step back and look at big pictures though!
Another wonderful post that gets my gray matter tingling. I’m too careless with my writing – I don’t feel in the ‘mood’ today, or ‘I don’t like the way this is going, so I open social networking stuff’ and get lost. Your post made me realize I have to get serious about writing goals and leave the playing around alone.
Gail–Or NASCAR? :) That’s happening here in Charlotte this weekend!
Tammy–Hugs to you, too! Hope it helps. I know I can’t see the forest for the trees sometimes. :)
Sheila–So true–if we know we have a *big* goal, or a dream, then we can deal with the stuff that trips us up every day.
H. L. Banks–Thinking about goals meant a wake-up call for me. I’ve definitely gotten too pulled into the day to day of life and have lost sight of what I’m trying to accomplish! The biggest day in my writing life came when I first decided I wanted to pursue publication and thought about the steps to take to meet that goal. I need to sit down and figure out what I want again! Hope this helps you out, too. :)
Margot–I think actually *knowing* what we want is definitely the first step!
My current goal is to complete a first draft of my so-called novel byt the end of June. Except from that, my only goals are to enjoy the summer, and have fun with science at work (as usual). Unfortunately, I’ve never been good at defining goals, or planning a career. >:)
Cold As Heaven
I’m both a short and long term goal setter; the big picture and smaller goals to be achieved in the short term. That way at least I have achievements to celebrate and small things soon mount up!
That’s what I teach in my goal-setting seminar – you must set small goals as well as big goals, because success is built on small successes.
As far as goals go, I have very few ones about writing right now. Mainly my goal is ‘graduate college,’ although I do want to keep writing, my only real goal in that direction is ‘find time’. Which, obviously, is darn near impossible. Still… weekends! :)
I think goals are important.
I also think having a bit of a free spirit about you, of not knowing what’s coming, is also important.
But you need goals. Otherwise you have a cloud that surrounds you — you’re never quite IN THE ZONE. So, definitely!
Sarah–But never fun!
Cold As Heaven–But you’ve done really well with your approach. :)
Jemi–Scary, but necessary, I think!
Diane–Sounds like very good advice!
Deb–That’s a good point…easier to stay motivated when we have a series of small wins.
Bethany Elizabeth–My hat’s off to you because the only writing I could do in college was for papers for my profs and the internship for the magazine that I had (non-fic, obviously).
The Kid In The Front Row–Maybe we should figure out the goal, then we can just refer to it as needed? :) Because I see what you’re saying.