#34: How to Plan Your Writing Projects for the New Year
Jan 5, 2021
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Learn how to strategically plan your writing projects for the new year with practical tips on setting achievable goals, reflecting on past experiences, and breaking down big projects into actionable steps. Discover the importance of scheduling, prioritizing non-negotiables, and balancing excitement with overwhelm in your writing journey.
Reflect on past accomplishments and challenges to set realistic plans for the future.
Select 3-5 main writing projects to focus on and map out actionable steps for accomplishment.
Deep dives
Reflecting on the Last 12 Months
Step one of planning your writing projects involves reviewing the previous year's accomplishments and challenges to set a realistic plan for the future. By reflecting on what aspects of your writing practice were easy, challenging, enjoyable, or unwanted, you can gain valuable insights for shaping your upcoming strategic plan. This review process allows you to identify areas for improvement and growth, guiding you towards a more successful writing year.
Defining Breakthrough Goals
Step two focuses on envisioning what a successful writing year looks like for you by defining breakthrough goals that align with your aspirations. Whether you aim to complete a first draft, master a writing technique, or engage in collaborative writing activities, clarifying your objectives sets a clear path for accomplishing your writing projects. By selecting three to five main goals as priorities, you can concentrate your efforts and track your progress effectively over the next 12 months.
Establishing Non-Negotiables
In step three, you are encouraged to identify your non-negotiable commitments and preferences that shape your writing journey. By determining what you are dedicated to pursuing and what you wish to avoid, you can establish guiding principles that prioritize your creative fulfillment and productivity. This process empowers you to set boundaries, make intentional decisions, and align your actions with your core values as you embark on your writing endeavors.
In today's episode, I'm going to walk you through how to plan out your writing projects for the new year. Here's a preview of what's included:
[01:25] Creating a strategic plan is something most writers don't think about doing but it’s the kind of thing that can actually help you achieve the big goals you have like writing a novel, or submitting a short story to publishers, or whatever it is that you're hoping to do. [02:55] Step #1: Review the last 12 months so that you can make a realistic plan for the future. What worked? What didn't work? [05:40] Step #2: Brainstorm all the big things you want to do and then choose the 3-5 main projects you want to focus on. [08:00] Step #3: Consider your non-negotiables. What do you need to make time for? What do you never want to do again? [09:50] Step #4: Start mapping out how you're going to accomplish your 3-5 main goals. What are the steps? How can you break this down so that it's a more specific, actionable goal? [14:25] Step #5: Get everything on your calendar and then do a gut check. Does your plan feel overwhelming? Or exciting? [18:30] Key points and episode recap.
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