Whether you want to focus on current writing goals or making it over NaNoWriMo’s finish line, you need to have goals. The best ones are SMART ones.

Specific - Don’t be wishy washy as in “I’ll write when the mood strikes”. Be clear as in “I’ll write for 15 minutes a day for the next three weeks”.

Measurable – You should have concrete criteria for knowing if you met your goal or not. In the above example, you can mark on a calendar the days you wrote for 15 minutes.

Attainable- If the goal is something you really want to reach, you’ll move mountains to make it happen.  If you don’t have any free time, squeezing in those 15 minutes of writing may be difficult.  Figure out what obstacles are in your way and how you can get around them.

Realistic – Are you willing and able to reach your goal?  You’ve found those 15 minutes by limiting your morning routine to 20 minutes instead of 35.  You can focus on writing during the morning, right?

Timely or Tangible- If a goal is timely or has an end result that can be experienced with your senses, then you’re good to go.  Timely would be NaNoWriMo completed in 1 month.  Tangible would be a printed copy of your novel, a group of friends pretending to do a screen test for your novel or maybe you’ll throw a New Year’s Eve party and all the guests have to come dressed as a character from your novel.  Tangible can be wacky.

You can make little goals to help you towards your big goals.  For example, a lot of people do prep work prior to NaNoWriMo such as: jailing their inner editor, world building, creating a monetary system, sketching characters, making characters take personality tests, outlining the novel, stocking the freezer/pantry and setting up a reward system.

Good luck!
~Amber

Whatever your goals may be, remember to make them SMART:
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Realistic
Timely

Good luck!  And have a Happy New Year!

(Posted by Amber – the web site cross-posts to LJ under Rhonda’s ID.)