Writer Biz #8 – The Plan, Part B

Okay. You’ve put your goals in place. The next thing you need to do is add a timeline. When do you want to accomplish said goals? Three months, six months, a year? Setting a date will help in a couple ways. One, it will help you clarify your objective. Two, it will help you assess your results. And three, it will help with the motivational aspect.

It’s easy for me to say I want to sell one hundred books, or one thousand, or ten thousand. If there’s no deadline to accomplish this, it’s easy to fall into the trap of being passive about your goal, and simply waiting for it to accomplish itself. It’s not long after setting a passive goal, the excuses start. Well, it’s only just released, or it’s only been out for six months, etc. You get the picture. Don’t give yourself permission to fail. Goals should not be passive, they should be active.

Once you’ve set your goal and timeline, give yourself a reality check. Given your lifestyle and commitments, what will it take for you to accomplish your goal? Again, this is different for everyone. Be sure to take into account your family obligations, the responsibilities of your evil day job, and any personal commitments you have. After giving your goal the serious consideration it deserves, you may have to adjust your timeline in one direction or another.

The last thing you need to take into consideration is yourself. Do you have personality traits which will hinder meeting your goals? If so, maybe you need to make an adjustment. On the reverse, do you do things which will help you accomplish your goals more quickly? The more realistic and honest you are about these things, the more you are likely to put yourself in a position to meet the goals you set.

A final note. While this will be the basis of your plan moving forward, remember, it’s not carved in stone. Things change, and as you follow this process, you will change and grow. You may find down the road, you’ll need to adjust your goals, your timeline or other aspects of your plan. Do it. It’s your plan, after all.