Writers, do you ever feel completely defeated?
Like your dreams are too far away, and there’s no way you’ll ever be able to reach them?
Maybe you’re not business-savvy enough. You’re just not cut out to do marketing. People only buy from authors who are already successful.
Maybe you’re not a good enough writer.
What if I told you none of that is true?
The Achievement Gap
Imagine you’re standing at the edge of a huge canyon. On the other side is everything you’ve ever wanted, and when you look down you can see hundreds of other people trapped at the bottom: all of the people who came before you, and failed.
You have two options:
You can lie down and give up. Or you can find a way to bridge the gap. A SMART way.
Building the Bridge
What is a SMART goal? SMART is an acronym: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. The SMART goal system isn’t perfect (nothing is) but it’s an excellent way to get your actions in line with your dreams. Here’s a breakdown of each of the criteria:
Specific – Do you know the who, what, when, where, how, and why of your goal?
Measurable – Is your goal concrete? Do you have a definitive way to know if you’ve achieved the goal? Will you be able to measure your progress to make sure you stay on track?
Achievable – Your goal should be big enough to scare you a little bit, but not so big that you can’t navigate it. Do you have all of the skills necessary to achieve it? If not, how will you acquire or outsource those skills?
Relevant – Is your goal in alignment with your dreams? (For my fellow gamers: Is this a main quest or a side quest?) Is it really going to help you build the bridge?
Time-Bound – When will you accomplish this goal? What milestones will you complete throughout the process, and when will you achieve them? Last but not least, do you have time set aside on your calendar to work on this goal?
ACTION STEPS: Design your first SMART goal
Let’s put this system into action, together. Grab a notebook or open a blank document and take some time to brainstorm on each of the criteria above. I’ll share my own answers:
Specific: I will complete and self-edit the first volume of a novella for serial publication. The drafting and all three rounds of self-revisions will be finished by the end of September 2025 and ready to be sent for professional editing. This will be my first published work of fiction and will be released at a later date in print and eBook format.
Measurable: The novella will be approximately 40-50k words and fully self-edited by the end of September 2025.
Achievable: To achieve this goal, I will need to set aside time for longer writing sessions. I will also be editing by hand on printed manuscripts. I will take the last week of June off from work in order to focus on finishing the first draft.
Relevant: This project will be the first in a series of novella-length volumes. Releasing them as a serial story will allow me to begin with a minimum viable product and build a fan base before investing in illustrated covers for each volume.
Time-Bound: The project will be complete by the end of September. The first draft will be complete by June 30th, leaving one month for each round of self-edits.
BONUS QUESTION: What will you do to reward yourself when you complete your goal? (I’m getting donuts, and treating myself to new writing software.)