How to Achieve Your Goals (When You Haven’t Even Started Yet)

with Marilyn Forsyth

Image courtesy of pinterest.com

Did I set my writing goals for the new year? Yep. :)

Did I start working towards them on January 1st? Nope. :(

So what was stopping me?

It was the actual 'getting started' bit. 

Wth? I mean, I’m a writer. The Farmer's Perfect Match was published last year and my next book, Falling in Love Again, is coming out in April, so what the heck was going on?

This…

It’s hard! Being a writer is hard work!

Image courtesy of onsizzle.com

There’s self-doubt. Life getting in the way. Brain drain. That kitchen drawer you've been meaning to get around to cleaning out. 

There’s, like…at least a million things to stop you from achieving those goals you set yourself. 

But here’s the good part: you can do something about it.

In no particular order, here are some things that got me back on track. Maybe they'll help you, too.

1. I re-read some completed stories and story ideas from my bottom drawer and realised I had some great stuff there. Maybe I wasn’t as useless as I thought.

2. I started writing a diary in the words of my new MC – just a few sentences about her daily life and innermost thoughts, to get to know her better (the book’s a historical time-slip, a total change of genre for me)

Own photo

3. I began using the ‘Don’t Beak the Chain’ method. I have to write every day — I don’t want to break that chain!

4. Before finishing writing for the day, I’ve been making a list of specific things to work on the next day. (Love to tick things off a list!)

5. I’ve broken my big goals into small, achievable outcomes. Nothing’s guaranteed to upset your equilibrium more than having a goal that’s just too hard to achieve.

6. This was a biggie! I skipped writing the first chapter. I had an outline and I knew where I wanted my story to go but I just didn’t know how to start it and that was causing me angst (we all know how important that first page is, don’t we!). The pressure really came off after that.

Link to listen to or buy

7. I’m writing to music. I’ve tried this sporadically in the past, but this time I have a proper playlist. I’m also using headphones and finding it a really nice way to work.

8. Before I start work on the computer, I’ve been handwriting what I want to achieve with the scene I’m working on. This is giving me a focus.

9. This might sound a bit airy-fairy but I’ve been saying out loud to myself ‘You are a writer. You can do this.’ (You know what they say – talk to yourself and you’ll always hear what you want to hear.)

10. I light my ritual citrus-scented candle, and off I go.

So there you have it: my guide to getting started for 2017. Hope it helps you. (And fingers, legs and eyes crossed that it continues for me!)

Have you had trouble getting started this year? What did you do to overcome it?

Love to Love…a thunderstorm after a sweltering day, and the smell of earth after rain.

Image courtesy of bestanimations.com

Love to Laugh…at Game of Thrones memes.

Love to Learn…by doing on-line writing courses. The last one I took was through the Margie Lawson Academy; it was about writing Historical Fiction and it was brilliant!

Procrastinators Unite! (Tomorrow...or maybe the day after)

by Marilyn Forsyth

Let me guess. You’ve got something important to finish but before you can settle down to it, you just need to: read this blog; play one more game of Candy Crush; scan Facebook; reorganise your linen cupboard and check the oil in the car. How’d I go? Yep, that was me too.

Procrastination is the world’s worst time-suck and the scourge of writers everywhere. There are two types: difficulty in getting started, and being distracted while working. In this post I’ll focus on difficulty with starting.

This is where I should say ‘Stop reading. Get writing!’ but the thing is I may have a way to help YOU stop procrastinating. From widespread reading on the topic, I’ve put together 12 suggestions, one of which might be right for you.

1. Prioritise your ‘to do’ list, including only those things you’ve been avoiding and omitting anything you intended to do anyway. (I know it feels good ticking them off but in all honesty, what’s the point?)
2. Begin your writing time with the most important thing – Writing! That annoyingly persistent voice in your head telling you to check your emails? Ignore it! Use your willpower; procrastination is a choice.
3. Getting started is more important than perfection. Adopt James Clear’s ‘2 Minute Rule’ When you start a new habit it should take less than 2 minutes to do, and although most goals can’t be completed in less than 2 minutes, every goal can be started in 2 minutes or less. This will help you past that hurdle of actually starting - write for 2 minutes and you might find yourself writing for much longer.
   
4. Break down goals into small, attainable steps. Small accomplishments bring their own reward and rewards boost motivation.
5. Set deadlines. Keep to them.
   
   
6. Use social media as a reward rather than a distraction. Hold off until you’ve met your daily word quota, or set a timer for 30 minutes of writing followed by 10 minutes of internet browsing, then more writing.
7. Intersperse your writing time with bouts of physical activity to get that body active
8. Make your writing space a ‘feel-good’ area. Surround yourself with things that make you happy.
9. Develop a ritual to associate with beginning writing. For me, it’s lighting a scented candle. For you it might be eating a Smartie (everyone knows Smarties boost brainpower, right?), or turning on the soundtrack you’ve created for your story.
10. Finish off that sentence you left unfinished at the end of your last session, or write by hand to start with.
11. Try a ‘Don’t Break the Chain Calendar’. 
12. Enjoy what you’re writing. I love writing dialogue and often begin with a page of pure dialogue, layering in the rest later.

There you have it –12 ways to get you started. There’s never been a better time to write than now. Go for it! (After you’ve left a comment, of course.J)

Do you have any suggestions that have helped you move past procrastinating? Love to hear them.

I also:

Love to Love citrus-scented candles to help me get in the zone.

Love to Laugh at the Grammarly Facebook page.

Love to Learn how to craft a great first page. Flogometer provides an opportunity for writers to get feedback on the first page of their ms. Ray Rhamey (Flogging the Quill) lists criteria to judge whether that first page is compelling, gives his own reasons why it might not be, and calls for responses from other readers. Click on the link to check it out.

As mentioned last week, our own Karen M Davis is currently on the road with Jenn J McLeod and Tricia Stringer, visiting 11 NSW towns. Check out the itinerary below to find out when they'll be somewhere near you and go along and support them.