DO YOU HAVE GOALS?

It’s a new year and you have a burning desire to make resolutions. You visualize what you'd love to accomplish by 2021. You’re totally focused and you’re determined to meet those goals until ...da, da, da! …your first set back.

If your goal is to get up earlier, the set back will be the morning you oversleep. If your goal is to lose weight, your set back will be the first sweet you’ll gobble up. If your goal is to write every day, the setback will be the day life took over and you didn’t have a minute to write a line.

When working towards your goals, it’s important to keep in mind that there will be setbacks. As sure as the sun will rise in the east, there will be setbacks. They happen. How you respond to them will determine if you'll make your goals.
Like a cowboy who gets thrown off his horse, you need to get off your butt, dust yourself off and get right back in the saddle.

Below are a few tips for making your 2020 goals.

1) Make your goals reasonable. Something you can control. And be specific.
Ie: (Non-writing related) I want to lose twenty pounds in 2020. (Writing related) I want to write my next book- 375 pages.

2) Write the goals down. Yes you can have more than one. Post them where you'll see them every day.

3) Break the goal or goals into manageable bits.
Ie: (NWR) I want to lose five pounds by March. Five more by June and the final ten by the November 1st. (WR) I'll write 10 pages a week.

4) If you’re the type of person who needs to report to someone, an accountability partner, find one and set up a schedule to report. IMPORTANT NOTE: Keep in mind there will be weeks, maybe several in a row, when you are the one having trouble making your goal. It’s okay. There will be weeks when you will shine.

5) Don’t get depressed when a step toward the goal is not met on time. Life happens. Computers crash. Kids get sick. Husbands come home with candy hearts. Enjoy life. A happy person is more productive.

6) Mondays are the first day of the week for many of us and the day of the week we seem to be most productive. It’s a mind thing. If you have more time to exercise or write on the weekend, try thinking of Saturday as being your first day of the week. Make a calendar labeling Saturday as the first day of the week if that will help you. Again, it’s a mind thing.

7) For the most part, we know our schedules for the week. Plan the minutes or hours you’ll work toward your goal. Think if that time as part of your work schedule.

8) Make a list of things that have stopped you from making your goal in the past. Post that list too and don’t go there. Ie: Television? Shut it off. Social media? Stay off line until your goal is met. Over volunteering? Say no this time.

9) Remember the old adage, 'Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today'. Just do it. DO it today.

I hope my list will help you make your goals in 2020.