The first word that popped into my mind is fear. I began to compare myself to others. BIG mistake. Please friends, don’t ever do that. God created each of us with the talents He equipped us with. Not the talents he wanted for others. There are always going to be writers more successful than you, better than you. There are also going to be those writers who look at you and wish they could accomplish what you have. The smart writer keeps her focus on God and what He wants her to accomplish. Not what he has equipped others to do.
Once I finally buckled down and decided I had better get back in the game, I decided to set some goals. The first being to finish a Christmas novella I’ve been working on by the end of September. I’m not done, but I have 15 more days to make that goal. I’ve also communicated my goal to three people. My words to them are doing more to keep me aware of my impending deadline than any commitment I could have made to myself.
My second goal is to finish the first three chapters of another novella by 1 October. Now, as you can probably see, I set those goals too close together. Yikes! What was I thinking? I don’t know, but I’m not giving up on either project. Because I have a commitment to two others to have those chapters complete. Thankfully both projects are in pretty good shape right now.
I even have a third goal. Now before you close your computer in disgust or say that lady is crazy, I haven’t communicated a date on that project to anyone. But once my two novellas are wrapped up, I’m setting a date and communicating that date with the two gals who encourage me and the sister who puts up with her weird writer sibling.
Everyone is different, but I highly recommend setting a goal and having an accountability partner. Oh, and make sure you look at your calendar while you’re doing it. That way you won’t set goals for two separate projects with just a day between them. J
What about you? Do you set goals? Do you have accountability partners? Leave a comment and let me know.
Terri Weldon is a lead analyst by day and an author by night. She enjoys gardening, reading, and shopping for shoes. One of her favorite pastimes is volunteering as the librarian at her church. It allows her to shop for books and spend someone else’s money! Plus, she has the great joy of introducing people to Christian fiction. She lives with her family in Oklahoma. Terri has two adorable Westies – Crosby and Nolly Grace. Terri is a member of ACFW and OCFW, a local chapter of ACFW. Her dream of becoming a published novelist came true in November 2013 when Mistletoe Magic, released from White Rose Publishing.
