Zen and the Art of Goal Setting

by Kelly Carey 

I love January. A fresh unmarked calendar with crisp pages and a full year of possibilities. Rubbing my palms together, I devilishly consider what I might accomplish in the twelve months ahead.

But first, I look back at what happened last year. There is vital information there that I need to make my new goals shine. I’m looking for those occasions where working toward my rational measurable goals mixed with flow, creativity, and fate. Those are the Zen moments where I hit the peak of productivity, success, and joy. I want to repeat those times and you will too. Taking stock of the past year will help set goals for the upcoming year with a key to happiness mixed in.

So how do you do that? I’m so glad you’ve asked. Here are my tips for setting goals that honor a quest for a happy writing life. 

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Sharp Pencil Accounting

First, set aside the Zen, and do a basic accounting of how you did hitting last year’s goals. Pull out that ambitious list you set down last January.

Go ahead. I’ll wait.
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Got them? Good. Now flip through the calendar and assess. Seriously, get out your calendar. I don’t know why our brains do this, but you will invariably forget some of your accomplishments. See. I was right. You forgot that you attended that book chat in April. And look there, you wrote the first draft for a new picture book in February. Don’t let those victories go unrecorded! Scour your schedule and get it all down. I promise, this will be way more fun than pulling out all the documents you need for tax prep, but the idea is  the same.

Be kind to yourself during this investigation. This is not a scoring system for assigning blame, shame, or even regret. This is a tool to guide your goal setting for the upcoming year. Be thorough and honest. No fudging the results or tipping the scales. If you had a goal to write 20K words toward a new middle grade novel, but you hit 3K; be proud of the 3K and keep going with your annual review. Maybe you didn’t have a goal to host three classroom visits, but fate and opportunity intervened, and you accomplished a task you hadn’t even set. Make note of that accomplishment.
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This is an annual report for yourself. Leave emotion, excuses, and even celebration out of this sharp pencil assessment. 

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Introspection and Investigation

Now put emotion back in and let the feelings flow. Note the goals that you crushed – you over-achiever you! With grace, peek at the goals you neglected, or decided to ignore because folding laundry seemed way more appealing. Think about what allowed you to zoom past a target and what blocked you from hitting a task. Life events, time, and family can interrupt a goal in your path. But sometimes a shift in desire or a flash of new inspiration can hit.  This data is gold. Before you set new goals, figure out what fed your writing soul last year and capitalize on that for this year.
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Ask yourself:

1. What tasks did I struggle with or avoid? And why?
2. What work made me miserable last year? And why?
3. What goals were easiest to attain? And why?
4. What work made me happiest last year? And why?

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The Zen of Goal Setting

Now combine the functional task of setting goals with the joy you want to feel in your writing. Where did the goals that were easy to attain intersect with the goals that made you the happiest? Yes, fine. Knock yourself out. Make a Venn Diagram.

I know what you’re gonna say. But Kelly if the goal is easy is it worth setting?

Yes. And here is why. You are not a wimp. You did not set slouchy goals. You are trying to be a published writer. By definition your goal is tough and that means you’re a badass.

So here is my question. Why make the journey miserable? Why put yourself on paths with goals that drain your cup and make you unhappy? It’s nonsensical. There are a myriad of ways to move yourself forward on the writing path. I want you to reach for the productive ones that will bring you success BUT I also believe the goals that make you the happiest are the ones that will make your writing dreams come true.

As you set down your goals for the year, be smart. Look for the tough tasks that bring you the greatest joy and set yourself up for a fabulous year. 

That is the Zen of Goal Setting.

Ohm.  

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