Setting Goals: Writing a Five Year Plan

jenngreenleaf · May 16, 2006

Am I going to drive myself nuts trying to write all of this out? Have any of you had a workable plan in place? If so, is it something you've used as a tool regularly or does it sit on the back burner?

I've always had some sort of "plan" in mind and some of it has been down on paper. I'd like to write a plan out that can be used as a tool for all aspect of my life, though. Not just my career. For example, I know that I need to plan out a workable budget in order to meet some specific financial goals. I also have some healt-related things that I have to keep track of on a calendar (re-checks with my doctor and things like that) . . . should they be part of the plan?

NeuroFizz · May 16, 2006

While wearing my scientific hat, an answer to one question usually ends up asking a number of other, more detailed questions. So, I can't tell you where I expect to be in five years, except that I will be pursuing the same general research question in a reductionist manner. Excepting the reductionist part, it appears to be the same situation with my writing. I don't have a clue where the next five years will take me, but I doubt my writing will stagnate.

jenngreenleaf · May 17, 2006

Thanks for replying!

I'm not really asking for people to predict the future, but I wonder if they map it out to help them get to where they want to be.

oarsman · May 17, 2006

Jenn,
I keep a one year plan in a notebook. I have a page or two for each of these categories:
1. Health/Fitness
2. Financial
3. Household - repairs, home improvement, garden work, etc.
4. Career
5. Relationships/Personal
I have ideas of where I want to be in five years, but I feel more in control of one year goals and found it works better for me to focus on short term goals (even though I have some long-range goals in my head). I don't hesitate to revise them anytime during the year, because new opportunities present themselves and life changes. It works OK for me.

DamaNegra · May 17, 2006

I don't have a five year plan, but I've got everything planned for this year:

- Finish this novel and mail it out by Sunday
- Start working on the next novel, finish it before August
- Work on my fanfic until November
- Write the NaNo novel I've got planned
- On December and Jan, revise previously finished novel
- Jan, start writing another one.

ATP · May 17, 2006

On the question of plans -

Writer plans or goals are all very well, but these *must* take into account the precarious nature of the business (mine is 100% non-fiction). Planning under these circumstances is an exercise fraught with much in-built
'risk management'. Things do improve, and they can and do become more stable; so in this regard, it is best not to set unrealistic and unmanageable goals too early. I would never be able to go in for 5 year plans, like for instance, the Chinese government and its famed five year plans.

I have monthly work/writing-related goals, and what I don't achieve for this month, I simply carry forward to the next month, and so on.
I gradually cross off things as I go.

I often review things just to give myself a sense that despite the frustration and set backs, there has been progress, albeit slow. And I have made progress - it has taken me quite some years to develop, and where I can now start to consolidate.

As for the other aspects of one's life being included, that is a personal choice.

But, it is best to remember two things:

i) ...the best made plans of mice and men and;

ii) much of what we want to do does depend on having the financial resources to do so.

ATP

jenngreenleaf · May 17, 2006

oarsman said:
Jenn,
I keep a one year plan in a notebook. I have a page or two for each of these categories:
1. Health/Fitness
2. Financial
3. Household - repairs, home improvement, garden work, etc.
4. Career
5. Relationships/Personal
I have ideas of where I want to be in five years, but I feel more in control of one year goals and found it works better for me to focus on short term goals (even though I have some long-range goals in my head). I don't hesitate to revise them anytime during the year, because new opportunities present themselves and life changes. It works OK for me.

I was thinking about doing it from year to year, but there's some financial goals that will take longer than that -- so, I thought five years would work for that part. Maybe I'll keep the financial part separate.

jenngreenleaf · May 17, 2006

DamaNegra said:
I don't have a five year plan, but I've got everything planned for this year:

- Finish this novel and mail it out by Sunday
- Start working on the next novel, finish it before August
- Work on my fanfic until November
- Write the NaNo novel I've got planned
- On December and Jan, revise previously finished novel
- Jan, start writing another one.

See, you're several steps ahead of me on this. I have a basic idea of how I'd like this year to turn out, but I haven't actually mapped out the specifics. Thanks for responding!

jenngreenleaf · May 17, 2006

I have monthly work/writing-related goals, and what I don't achieve for this month, I simply carry forward to the next month, and so on. I gradually cross off things as I go.

I tried going month to month in 2004 and got far with my business, but nowhere in any other aspect of my life. I was thinking I should go more long term based on that reality. Maybe not grouping everything together into five years would be my best bet . . .

month to month for my business
year to year for personal things (family, self, ect)
five years for financial goals

I know, I'm making this complicated. I'd rather have something efficient in place, though, than nothing at all. I'm a 100% non-fiction writer, too, so I completely relate to your risk management comment.

Avalon · May 17, 2006

I actually have a 10-year plan. *cough*

When I started to write seriously, I decided (having read a lot of interviews of authors in my field) that it takes about ten years of serious work to write consistently publishable fiction. I figured it takes a doctor at least that long to practice, or any other specialist: four years of high school, four years of college, two years of postgraduate work, I assumed -- and if it takes an extra three or four years before I'm selling consistently, well, that's an internship or a residency. I wrote a list, by year, on an index card: the year, followed by 'freshman', the next year, followed by 'sophomore', etc.

Every year on the anniversary of that date, I take an hour and write a progress report -- how I've improved over the last year, and what I'd like to accomplish for the next year. The index card is taped inside the front of a binder, and the reports go in there, along with my rejections.

It's really helped me through some hard times. Even though I'm 45 years old, my writing is... oh, right! I just started college in April!

Makes me feel better about not having made a sale yet.

veinglory · May 17, 2006

I don't know what country I'll be living in a year from now--so itemised writing plans seem unrealistic. I generally have a plan that extends to the end of the next book which will be somewhat sooner. Starting the book after that is contingent on many things including how the previous books are doing and what may job is at that time.

jenngreenleaf · May 18, 2006

Avalon said:
Every year on the anniversary of that date, I take an hour and write a progress report -- how I've improved over the last year, and what I'd like to accomplish for the next year. The index card is taped inside the front of a binder, and the reports go in there, along with my rejections.

I really like this idea!

I don't think I could go as long term as ten years (or as short term as month to month, for that matter), but I don't think there's anything wrong with you doing that. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Anyway, I'm still giving this a lot of thought - and puzzling in the ideas from this thread that I think would be most workable for my situation. Thank you for responding!

jenngreenleaf · May 18, 2006

veinglory said:
I don't know what country I'll be living in a year from now--so itemised writing plans seem unrealistic. I generally have a plan that extends to the end of the next book which will be somewhat sooner. Starting the book after that is contingent on many things including how the previous books are doing and what may job is at that time.

This makes complete sense to me and, if in your shoes, I'd feel the same way. Do you have plans for things outside of your career, though? I'm wondering if I should group all my "life" into one plan, or if I should keep everything separate and let them do their own thing? I don't mean to complicate this, but like I said in another post, not doing anything isn't really getting me where I want to be. And, yes, I really over annalyze things . . . I'm working on that.

veinglory · May 18, 2006

The issue for me is that I need to be aware of options but flexible enough take the best opportunity that comes up in term of my main career and my growing secondary career as a writer--because what I really want isn't out there on a plate waiting for me (i.e. tenure in a town I want to live in and contract with Tor

). There are various outcomes I would love to acheive and I try to position my self to grab the job that would give the best base for acheiving them (please, something long term for a change!)

Anya Smith · May 18, 2006

I plan to become a published writer within the next five years. Hopefully more than one of my novels. That's my main goal right now and it's not likely to change.

I always liked to plan ahead, though it's generally a flexible plan. But being impatient by nature, five years seem too long.

jenngreenleaf · May 19, 2006

veinglory said:
The issue for me is that I need to be aware of options but flexible enough take the best opportunity that comes up in term of my main career and my growing secondary career as a writer--because what I really want isn't out there on a plate waiting for me (i.e. tenure in a town I want to live in and contract with Tor ). There are various outcomes I would love to acheive and I try to position my self to grab the job that would give the best base for acheiving them (please, something long term for a change!)

I used to write a lot of fiction, but I got out of it when I started focusing on non-fiction. I wanted to be in glossy magazines and build a portfolio, but I was getting absolutely nowhere with fiction. So, maybe as part of my five year plan (goals), I should include publishing some fiction. I love writing it (not saying I'm very good -- I haven't gotten that confident in my abilities yet), but I have a lot to learn . . . so maybe part of planning for that goal should be taking some classes.

jenngreenleaf · May 19, 2006

Anya Smith said:
I plan to become a published writer within the next five years. Hopefully more than one of my novels. That's my main goal right now and it's not likely to change.

I always liked to plan ahead, though it's generally a flexible plan. But being impatient by nature, five years seem too long.

I couldn't agree more! I'm also an impatient person and, for me, I think there needs to be something that isn't quite so long. I asked the question focusing on "five years" because I've been reading a lot of books lately (covering a wide variety of topics touching various aspects of everday life) and most have mentioned the importance of making a plan and some have specified it being for five years.

Anya Smith · May 19, 2006

Right now, we have a plan to move further up north a bit within the next year and a half. My daughter will be in college--she's senior next year--so it's a good time for it. We knew it would happen then, but we really started planning actively just a few months ago. The result is: I can't wait. I'm already running it through my head what must be done, also dreading the move. I just want to get it over with, sort of. It's distracting even, but a move is a big move. Hehe, no pun intended.

jenngreenleaf · May 22, 2006

I'm feeling the same way -- we're moving the house we're in now off this property, buying the property, building a foundation and putting in a bigger house . . . between now and October. It sounds like a lot of time, but it really isn't when there's so many estimates, contractors, house builders, forms . . . and all the jazz to deal with. I think working through those preparations, getting my kids ready to start the summer, getting the ball rolling again with my career and thinking about what else is going to come up (like, new furniture, for example) is what's prompting this need to make solid plans . . .

Setting Goals: Writing a Five Year Plan

Do you have a five year plan?

Does it consist of what you'd "like" to happen in the next five years?

Does it consiste of things that "will" happen in the next five years?

Is it a mix of both dreams and realistic goals?

Five year plans are stupid. Just go with the flow, Jenn.

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