December 29, 2008

Will this be the year your writing dreams come true?

Last Friday I shared one goal for 2009, a three-pronged “Self-Study Advanced Writing Program” that I designed for myself. Ten days ago I talked about “Setting Goals NOW for 2009,” about moving from where you are to the greater success and fulfillment that you desire.

Now What?

If you did the writing exercises in that post, you now have a clear, detailed, written description of your current writing life. You also have a detailed image of your future perfect writing life. And you know some projects you’d love to work on—your writing dreams. Now what?

To go from where you are to where you want to be as a writer, two things are critical. One has to do with your feelings, and the other has to do with your will.

Two Requirements

First, you need an overwhelming desire to change something in your life. (Perhaps you want to get on a regular writing schedule. Maybe you want to submit the finished stories hidden in your desk. Possibly you’re ready to find an agent.) Whatever your goals, the more specific, the better.

Second, you must be determined to move from wishing and hoping to taking action. It’s as simple as cause and effect: you must do something different (cause) in order to develop the writing life of your dreams (effect). This determination will also involve developing good habits to support, nurture, and sustain your changes. (These habits might include eating right, getting sufficient exercise and sleep, and curtailing time wasters like too much TV and Web surfing. I’ve been working on such a list this past week myself, organized in a 3-ring notebook. So many habits to change!)

Time to Take Action

This week, think about what habits you may need to implement–and which ones you may need to eliminate–to support your writing goals for 2009. If you feel inclined, please share some of the goals and habits you hope to create.

1 Comment »

1. [...] Last Friday I shared one goal for 2009, a three-pronged “Self-Study Advanced Writing Program” that I designed for myself. Ten days ago I talked about “Setting Goals NOW for 2009,” about moving from where you are to the greater success …[Continue Reading] [...]

   Pingback by Losing Weight…Yeah Right! » Blog Archive » Writers First Aid » Writing Dreams Fulfilled — January 1, 2009 @ 6:44 am

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