How To Slay 2018 The S.M.A.R.T. Way

*Blows dust off blog*

So...it's been awhile but I'm back, and you're here, so let's dive right in and get started making 2018 our best year yet. That may sound like a lofty goal, but I believe in us and I've found a great system to help get us on our way.

New Year's typically comes with revelry, reflection, and resolutions. We set our writing goals (some of them recycled from the year before...and the year before that...and the year before that...) and convince ourselves this year will be the year we finish our manuscript, get published, or land an agent. The thing is, it takes more than motivation and a pretty planner to see our dreams come to fruition. A lot of us know what we want and why we want it, but have no idea how we're going to get it done.

A huge part of figuring out how, is understanding that a key component of goal setting is an action plan. And by plan, I mean both the noun and the verb. In order to achieve our goals we not only need a detailed strategy but also to decide and arrange in advance how we're going to execute our strategy.

This is where the SMART goal system comes in.

SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time Bound and the system brings organization and perceptibility into our goal setting. Here's how:

S is for Specific.

What exactly is it you're trying to achieve? Why this goal at this time? Who is going to be part of your process? What are the limitations or restrictions? Are there acceptable alternatives? The more specific you are with your goals, the clearer they become. The S is the difference between "I want to be published." and "I want to be published by Riptide."

M is for Measurable.

The M is what keeps us from getting overwhelmed. It breaks our larger goal down into manageable chunks which yield tangible results. How? Part of making sure your goal is measurable is establishing deadlines for getting things done and determining how you'll track your progress. For example one of my 2018 is to expand my online social circle of fellow writers and publishing peeps. Social anxiety and my general tendency to be the most awkward of turtles means I have a relatively small group of online peers (but they are AWESOME and I love them). One of the ways I plan on changing that is by actively participating in online events, joining message boards, being active on my social media platforms and speaking up in writing related chats. I plan on measuring how successful I am in increasing my peer group by having a specific goal of making two new contacts every three months. That may not sound like much, but for someone with my awkwardness and anxiety it's a challenging, but not entirely impossible goal. Most to the point though, it's measurable.

A is for Attainable.

Don't set yourself up for failure. Making two new contacts every three months is an achievable goal for me; making ten is not. The key to keeping a goal attainable is knowing what steps you're going to take and evaluating whether or not you have the skills or resources needed.

R is for Relevant. 

This one is pretty self explanatory. Your goal has to be important to you or you're going to lose motivation quickly. Ask yourself why you want to want to reach this goal, what's the objective and whether or not it's really worth investing your time, effort, and energy.

T is for Time Bound.

Set a firm deadline for completion. Firm. Deadline. Be realistic. be precise, and be accountable.

So there you have it, guys. The SMART way to reach our writing goals in 2018. The cool thing about this system is you can apply to pretty much anything that requires long range planning.

Talk to me, fam. What are your 2018 writing goals? How can the SMART system help you reach them? Leave a comment and let me know.