New Year, New Goals

By Annie Cronin Romano

So, 2020 was a doozy, wasn’t it? Sure was. But it’s over, people. It’s 2021. A brand new year! And you know what they say:

New Year. New Goals.

Okay, maybe most people don’t say that. But at 24 Carrot Writing, we say it. And we mean it. Don’t believe us? Check out our 2021 goals, which we post every year in January, because: proof! There they are!

If you’re worried about setting goals for the New Year because last year tossed such a curveball into your writing plans, don’t be. Yes, it’s tricky when you plan to write an hour a day while your kids are at school, only to have them suddenly doing remote learning from home. For month after month. We know. But goals should be flexible. That’s the beauty of the “Attainable, “Relevant” and “Timely” part of SMART goals (see The SMART Key to Your Carrots, September 2014). If something drastic happens to alter the attainability, relevance, or timely aspect of your goal—such as, say, a pandemic?—you can adjust your sails to make your goal achievable. Does this count for not meeting a writing goal simply because you didn’t feel like writing? No. But does it count because the time you thought you’d have was altered by circumstances beyond your control? Yes, absolutely.

So don’t let the stress and upheaval that was 2020 keep you from setting writing goals for 2021. Think about what you’d like to accomplish and write it down. Then get started. Perhaps your goal is to brainstorm a list of ideas for new a chapter book series. Perhaps you hope to write three new picture book manuscripts. Or completely revise a novel manuscript based on feedback you’ve received from a critique. Perhaps you work full time and have a busy family life, and your goal is to write a chapter a week. Or even a chapter a month. Write down that goal. Then do your best to meet it.

Do. Your. Best. That’s what a goal is set for: as a finish line to run toward. And every step is progress. So think about what you’d like to accomplish in your writing life this year. Then commit to it.
 
You can do this.
New Year. New Goals.
A fresh start. Bring on 2021!

​And happy writing! All of us at 24 Carrot Writing are cheering for you! 

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