When you set new goals for yourself, how do you feel? Do you feel scared? Or do you become excited? Generally, when fear is the first emotion we feel, it is because we feel overwhelmed by our goals and can't see how we will accomplish them. We all dream and wish for things, but those things will always remain out of our reach, if we never develop a sound strategy to accomplish them.

 

As a writer, your goal should be to write as much as possible, ideally every day. Some days, of course, will be harder than others, but if you give yourself a daily, weekly, or monthly goal to reach, you will be able to hold yourself accountable.

 

How can you begin to reach for your goals right now? Write them down. Start with your very big goals, your "shoot for the moon" goals. There is no goal that is too crazy. If your goal is to be a published author, you must ask yourself the following questions: What must I do to become a published author? What am I willing to do to become one? Am I willing to step outside of my comfort zone in order to achieve this goal?

 

Once you have written your "shoot for the moon" goals down, the next step is to go from general to specific. Take that big, wild "shoot for the moon" goal and bring it down to earth. Make it bite-size. First, ask yourself when you would like for this goal to be accomplished. If your goal is to write a book in one year, you know that you have twelve months to go from the first word on the page to seeing yourself as a publishing success. Within that time, what are the very real and concrete steps you must take in order to see your goal become a reality? 

 

Before you begin any worthwhile endeavor, it is important to visualize the end of it. This may seem counter-intuitive, but seeing the end before you begin is truly the best (and only) way to get a sense of whether or not you'll be able to accomplish what you've set out to do. Once you've made your goal something that is very real and achievable, do not hesitate to start. Dive headfirst into your endeavor. Take that giant leap of faith. You already know that you are capable of achieving amazing things. Now, all you have to do is prove it to yourself.