Amazing goal attainment secrets of a life-story writing coach
Who else is enjoying the cooler months of winter?
Certainly here in Australia we have just had an ‘arctic blast‘.
But it has been the perfect excuse to curl up and do more planning, creating, polishing and publishing!
And it has also been a good time to look back over writing goals set in the new year.
So this week I’m asking: Are you on track to hit your goals or have you forgotten them?
Next let’s examine five things we can do to reset and realign writing goals for our autobiography, memoir, biography or other life-story projects.
1 Have a little fun to realign writing goals
Firstly remember you don’t need to start a writing project or session with difficult topics.
Certainly the beauty of writing is you are the boss and you can start where you want.
So kick-start your writing with memories that are uplifting and make you smile.
And watch your project build momentum and realign writing goals in no time.
Related article – Writing tips: The ultimate guide of life-story tips for new writers
2 Life is now
A second way to realign writing goals is to realise one simple truth.
And that is, if we wait for the perfect time or the stars to align to work on our project we will be waiting a very long time.
So if this is you, now is the moment to forget the excuses and time wasting.
Most importantly make a start, no matter how small, today!
Related article – Writing time: How to schedule time for writing
3 Remember why to realign writing goals
A third way to get fired up to realign writing goals is to remember why you started a project.
For example, this could be to provide facts about a life, document social changes, share life lessons, discover more about yourself, preserve the memory of a loved one or leave a legacy for future generations.
And reflecting on these important ‘whys’ will remind you that your writing is important, how it can help others and possibly, change lives.
So think big!
Related article – Why write: Why is writing important and why do we write
4 Time to buddy up
Fourth, finding a writing buddy can help you stick to your goals.
Certainly a buddy will motivate you to keep writing, keep tabs on your progress, give feedback, help with ideas and celebrate your successes!
Indeed you might already know someone writing their life story or you could meet a buddy through a writers’ group online or offline.
Related article – Writing accountability: Personal accountability + accountability partners
5 Slow ‘n’ steady
Finally, many people (myself included!) get frustrated when writing progress slows.
In short, at the start of a project we have bucket loads of enthusiasm but eventually this tapers off.
So let’s back up to realign writing goals.
The key is to set achievable and specific goals.
For example, instead of planning to “write my entire life story as soon as I can”, a more realistic, long-term plan might be to: “Prepare the first draft of four chapters in 12 weeks. And to do this I will sit down to write for four hours a week, 7-8am, Mondays to Thursdays.”
Related article – Set top writing dreams and goals
Final say: Realign writing goals
Setting goals is a great idea if you are starting a life-story project.
But they need to be tweaked and reassessed on a regular basis.
So to realign writing goals: focus on fun, start now, remember why, buddy up and break goals into achievable parts.
Therefore, here’s to a productive and enjoyable rest of 2021.
Happy writing!
Free gift!
Want to help a loved one record their life story? You need the Your Family Stories System, which shows you how step by step. Get the first few sections for free by signing up here.
Your say
What’s your writing goal for 2021? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Send me an email or leave a reply in the comments section at the end of this article.
Get in touch
Have you hit a roadblock planning, creating, polishing or finishing your life story? Let me know here so I can help!
Don’t miss an article
Sign up here to get instant notifications when new material is published.
First published June 28, 2018: This article has been updated and improved.
