My goals for the new year?
To focus less on blogging and more on publishing independent pieces in additional online and print publications.
To save up the money for a career coaching certification program.
To stop worrying about money.
To fit into my jeans again.
Lofty and admirable goals all, not to mention unimaginably daunting.
How can I set the right goals for 2009…the types of goals I can actually accomplish?
It all comes down to breaking down larger goals into smaller, more specific, and more manageable pieces. Take my first goal. How am I going to end up in Glamour magazine if I spend all my time skimming through products blogs and doing up posts for the Modern Materialist? Simple:
– Confine Modern Materialist-related work (both research and writing) to a specific time each day.
– Draw up a spreadsheet with at least 20 story ideas.
– Brainstorm 3-5 possible markets per story idea, and write down the title and contact person at each publication.
– Draw up pitch letters for each story idea.
– Throw caution to the wind and send ’em out. Attempt to have at least 10 pitches out and making the rounds at any given time.
– Remember to send followups.
– Ooh! Also, try sending out Letters of Interest as well, as per this post by Jenny Cromie of The Golden Pencil.
As simple as any checklist, these are action items that can easily be accomplished.
And, with luck (and all that hard work), the end result will be World Domination in the writerly realm.
Start breaking down your own more general goals into bite-sized, manageable pieces, and share your final list of action items in the comments!
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