Visual Goals

Nope, no graphs or charts for me, except for charts (matrices) at work where I have to do them. When it comes to visualizing writing goals for myself, I just sit down and write. That's the only way to motivate myself to reach my goals.

Nope. Goals are fine things, but I believe in concentrating on what it takes to achieve a goal, not on the goal itself.

The article says, "The easier a goal is to see, the closer it seems." I believe the opposite is true. The closer a goal is, the easier it is to see.

Unrealistic goals, or ones out of your control, can be devastating, and few goals people set are as easy as saving for a vacation. "Vacation" shouldn't be the goal, anyway. Saving a certain amount of money each paycheck should be the goal.

When applied to writing, "I want to be a published novelist" isn't a goal at all, it's a dream, and one out of your control.

Today I will spend the hours from seven to nine P.M. writing is a goal, and one fully within your control. It' doesn't require visualization, it' just requires sitting down today and doing it.

Do this, and you give your long-term dream the best chance of becoming reality. Don't do this, and chances are the dream will always remain a dream.

I'm very much a goal-oriented person and so I like to give myself concrete writing goals, usually a word count. Seeing myself hit that daily word count is both satisfying and motivating.

Also agree with both James and Marguerite.

One day at a time.

Yeah, I drive around to the car lots and pick out the bad ass rod I'm gonna get when I become a rich and famous author. That's my visual goal setting. Course, I do the same thing every time I buy a lottery ticket.

I just write. My goals, short term. When I sit down, my goal is to write a sentence. I've never failed to achieve it.

The goals are there, but not articulated. They don't need to be manipulated on paper or computer, they don't need to be agonized over, they don't need to be poster-ized or slung on a banner. The best way to honor those goals is to get to work and show good progress toward them. And they are layered. Some are distant, but even those are broken into smaller step-goals--the scene-at-hand leading to the finished project type of goals.

The goals are wrapped in a shroud of self-discipline and motivation to write. It one hasn't found that shroud, all of the goal articulating won't do anything but take up writing time.