Goal Setting

A long time ago, my Gramma Sprague told me that if I really wanted to be serious about achieving a goal, I should write it down.

I took her advice to heart. Here’s my list of goals from 1987. I was ten.

It took me awhile to accomplish item number ten, but there it is… When I was working on I SHALL, I had no memory of writing down that goal. It was quite a surprise when I stumbled across the “Goals for Life” file in my filing cabinet. But the memory of that 20 year old goal must have been lodged somewhere in my subconscious.

I don’t know what it is about writing down a goal, but it really helps motivate me. Making a concrete goal to hit 100,000 words with my new novel by 1/1/2015 seemed ridiculous back in the summer when I set it. But I wrote down that goal, and told a friend about it, and that accountability has really helped me keep plugging away.

I know it’s a little early maybe to be thinking about New Year’s resolutions, I’d like to pass on Gramma Sprague’s advice, and if there’s something you really want to do this year, write it down. And then maybe find someone to tell about it. I’ve definitely got some new goals I’d be putting to paper.