I’m obsessed with goal setting. I set writing goals and goals for other areas of my life each year, each quarter, and each month. Because I’m so passionate about goal setting, I’m constantly reading books, attending workshops and listening to podcasts to help me get better at setting and achieving my goals. I take what I learn, tweak it and try it out. Then I figure out how to share what I’ve gleaned from my personal experiences with you. That’s why I get so excited for my annual Write the Vision Workshop! (This year’s workshop is on Sunday, December 14 at 4 p.m. CT. You can sign up here.)
Why You Aren’t Achieving Your Writing Goals
If you HATE goal setting, it’s probably because you’re not following through. And if you’re setting writing goals each year and nothing in your writing life is changing, chances are it’s NOT because of laziness. You work hard. Probably too hard. You are NOT lazy. But I think I know what’s holding you back.
You’re setting too many goals.
Babe, you can do anything, but you can’t do everything – at least not all at once. Listen, I am a dreamer. At the end of each year, I write down ALL THE THINGS I would like to do the following year. I call this Brain Dump Dreaming. But from that list, I pick just a few goals as my priorities. Try this, and you will find that there is freedom in focus. You won’t feel compelled to follow every shiny object that comes along when you are committed to your chosen few. And where focus goes, energy flows. You are much more likely to make your dreams come true if you’re devoting much of your time and creativity to one or two goals instead of spreading yourself too thin chasing several different aspirations.
Do this instead: Choose only 1 or 2 big writing goals for the new year. I know, I know. That seems impossible as you review the brain dump dreaming list you made. But look closely and see if you can use some of the items on that list as action steps toward your big goal. For example, if you want to write a book next year but you also want to launch a blog or Substack, could you use the content from your blog or newsletter in your book, or at least use one of these platforms to build anticipation for and promote your book?
You’re not setting the right goals.
How can a goal be wrong? When it’s not actually your goal. Oftentimes, we set goals based on what other people say we should do or what people around us are doing. But what do YOU want?
Do this instead: Write your vision. Before you set your 2026 goals, take some time to ask yourself what you want for your future writing life. Where do you see yourself in three, five, or 10 years? Do you want to be a full-time writer? Do you want an agent and a traditional book deal? Do you want to be a New York Times Bestselling author? Do you want to be a wildly successful self-published author? Are there certain media outlets or literary magazines you want to see your byline in? Get clear on your long-term goals and then ask yourself what you need to do in 2026 to get closer to this vision.
You’re focused on things you can’t control.
There’s a difference between aspirational goals and action-oriented goals. Aspirational goals are things we want to happen but don’t have control over. For example, I want to write for ESSENCE and The Bitter Southerner and I want a column with Soul-Grown.com. But I don’t have any control over whether or not the editors of these publications will give me a shot. But I can control whether or not I shoot my shot!
Do this instead: Be action-oriented. Instead of stating that your goal for 2026 is to land an agent or a book deal, aim to send query letters or book proposals out to a certain number of agents, publishing houses, or contests.
You don’t have a realistic plan for achieving your goals.
You know how the saying goes — a goal without a plan is just a wish. And to be clear, a plan doesn’t just mean breaking down your goal into smaller steps. Yes, you need to do that. But don’t stop there. You also need to plan when you’re actually going to do these steps.
Do this instead: Schedule time to work on your writing goals. Create an Ideal Week template and in that schedule plot out time to work on your writing goals. Be realistic about how much time you can devote to your writing projects and still take care of other obligations. But treat your writing time like an appointment you can’t skip. I also recommend having a daily writing goal. This can be a word count or page count goal. How much you write each day depends on what your goal for the year is. For example, if you want to finish writing your 75,000-word book in the first 100 days of the year, you’ll need to write 1,000 words a day. Or if you know you’re only going to work on your book on the weekends, your daily goal could be to journal each day for 15 minutes.
You don’t have a writing community.
Writing is a solitary practice – until it’s absolutely not. This quote is how Dantiel W. Moniz begins the acknowledgements of her short story collection Milk Blood Heat, and it’s basically become my mantra. Yes, we may do a lot of our writing in solitude, but so much of the creative process is tied to community. Not only do we draw inspiration from other writers, but when we face rejection and obstacles, our writer friends keep us going with their words of encouragement. They can hold us accountable when we’re tempted to skip our writing sessions. And when our writing buddies succeed, they show us what’s possible.
Do this instead: Join the See Jane Write Collective! Writers need other writers. Period. That’s why the See Jane Write Collective exists.
I’ll be sharing more about the Collective and how we can help you achieve your 2026 writing goals at this year’s Write the Vision workshop.
I hope you can join us for this free virtual event on Sunday, December 14 at 4 p.m. CT. You can sign up here.