Meetings, writing retreats, book launches, and laughter.

By Kelly Carey

​Every month, according to the 24 Carrot Writing philosophy, I dutifully set both writing goals and craft goals. Every month I hit most but not all of my goals. That’s okay! We have warned against using goals as weapons. Goals are there for motivation.
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When I miss a goal, I push it over to the next month. Sound strategy right? I thought so, until I took a look back over the past few months and realized that the same goal kept getting pushed. Why? 

The truth is a bit embarrassing.

I’m avoiding the hard goal.

Yup. That’s what I’m doing. I’m feeling proud and organized when I sit down to work, but as a scan through my monthly goals, I’m picking off the easy targets and leaving the more challenging tasks to languish and carry over from month to month.
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The goals that keep getting moved to another month are ones I’m most unsure of – much like I put off doing house chores I don’t like. Laundry or vacuuming? I’ll choose laundry every time. You’ll always have clean socks to wear in my house, as long as you don’t wear them shoe-less on my very dirty floors! I was applying this same dodge and avoid technique to my 24 Carrot Writing goals. 

This has to stop!

I can’t keep clicking off the easy tasks on my goal list. Every month I set a goal to read mentor texts. I love that task and so every month without fail (and sometimes surpassing my objective), I was able to put a nice thick check mark next to that goal. But the monthly intention to draft a new picture book? Pushed! But I’m a writer? I love writing! Writing should come before reading mentor texts! But the blank page, the self-doubt, the internal critic all made reading a lovely book that you all have already written seem like a much nicer (aka easier) task.
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Time to address this blatant goal slacking. 

This month I’m picking one super writing goal and one super craft goal and I’m going to underline them – maybe star them – perhaps circle them with a gold pen – and I’m not going to attack anything else on my list until I have hit my super goals every month. I’m actually hoping that those easier, friendlier, can’t-wait-to-do-them goals, which will sit lower on my list, will act as extra motivation. I’ll want to get to those happy place goals, but I’ll have to tackle my super goal first (aka my do-not-pass-go, go-directly-to-them goals!).

I’m a little nervous, but I think it will make me more thoughtful when I make out my monthly goals and I’ll be leaning on my 24 Carrot Writing crew to keep me motivated. I bet I’ll feel fantastic when I hit those super goals and that will be worth tackling the hard stuff first!

Take a peek at your own goals. Set solid, measurable, and challenging goals. And make sure that you are not hiding behind the easy targets on your list like me! If you were, consider highlighting a super goal, a must do goal, and don’t let yourself avoid it.
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And now I’m off to do some laundry – just kidding! I’m off to vacuum! Hard stuff first! I’ve got this!
 

To celebrate October, and to whip our writing efforts into a productive fourth quarter frenzy, you are cordially invited to  

The 4th Annual 24 Carrot Writing
Trick or Book Treat Party

Join the Writing Trick or Book Treat Party by sharing your favorite writing trick or tip, or treating your fellow writers to a book recommendation. Share your writing tip, or a recent children’s book that you have
loved and/or used as a mentor text on our Facebook page
or in the comment section below.

When you share, we will enter you in our October 31 drawing for signed copies of children's literature.  We are keeping some of our titles masked! But our book prizes include a signed copy of Padma Venkatraman’s The Bridge Home, Stephanie V.W. Lucianovic’s The End of Something Wonderful, Josh Funk’s It’s Not Hansel and Gretel, Kris Asselin’s Falling for Wonder Boy, and Brian Lies’ The Rough Patch!

You don’t need a costume, but you do need to be a part of our 24 Carrot Facebook group and you need to sign up for our email updates. If you haven't joined yet, what are you waiting for? You'll get an update every time we post a new blog or book pick! To join, just click the "Join Our Facebook Group” and fill out the “Get Email Updates” on the right.  

Don't Miss Out on the Writing Trick or Book Treat Party!