Wouldn’t you like to know how to reach your writing goals without much effort and stress?

Believe it or not, sometimes we put a choke hold on our goals. We don’t mean to because we’re so passionate about them. However, that passion works against us and before we know it our goals our die.

The more you obsess over meeting your goals, the more you’re likely to push the goals away from you. This sounds counterintuitive to what all of us have been taught, which is to focus, focus, focus on our goals. But that’s the paradox.

What is the paradox?

When you’re extremely focused on your goals, you create an energy force that pushes your goals away from you.

When you relax into your goals and take ‘inspired action’ to reach your goals, you create a ‘positive’ energy that draws your goals closer to you.

You may be shaking your head. But I’ve tested the ‘paradox’ theory.

Testing the Paradox Theory

I used stress out about reaching my writing goals to the point where I was miserable. Writing was becoming more of a chore than something I was passionate about. It became the dreaded task. And I wanted to give up. But there was something inside of me that wouldn’t let me give up.

So, I had a little conversation with myself that went something like this…

“You have all of those self-help, spiritual, and metaphysical books that teach you how to set an intention and let it go.

You’ve listened to radio show after radio show where you’ve heard hosts tell their audience members that being uptight about their goals pushes them away.

You’ve been known to give people advice on how to visualize the ‘end result,’ yet you’re not taking your own advice. What’s wrong with this picture?”

I reflected on my thoughts for a moment and agreed that I wasn’t taking my own advice or applying the knowledge I learned throughout the years. It was time to practice what I learned.

The Steps to Reaching Your Writing Goals

 

First Step

My first step was to purchase a web theme for my writer website that matched my personality. After a few tweaks, I got it  to look the way I wanted it to.

If you’re not happy with the look and feel of your author or writer website, hire a web designer, or purchase a theme from Studio Press from the folks at Copyblogger. I’m extremely happy with my theme, and you receive help through Studio Press’ forum.

Second Step

The second step was to meditate on my goals. I needed to make sure I wanted to reach my writing goals. This is important. You may think you want to become a best-selling author, but in reality, you don’t. What you really want is the adoration, fame, and money. There’s nothing wrong with these. However, you may stumble and fall because you’re so focused on the ‘material’ aspect of writing. Remember, most writers would write even if they weren’t paid for it.

Be totally honest as to ‘why’ you want to see your book on The New York Times Best-Sellers list. The answer may surprise you.

Third Step

The third step was to write down my goals.

Seeing your writing goals on paper will help you acknowledge whether or not you want to reach them. You can revise your writing goals over and over again until you’re satisfied they’re the goals you want to reach.

Fourth Step

The fourth step was to ‘feel’ as if I already reached my goals.

This step can be tricky if you’re not sure how you’d feel. But here’s a trick… Think about the best time in your life. Maybe it was when you married your high school sweetheart. Maybe it was when you took a European vacation. Maybe it was when you adopted a puppy or kitten. Maybe it was when you’re child was born. Maybe when it was you went into remission. Think about whatever made you super duper happy and hold onto that feeling.

Fifth Step

The fifth step was to take inspired action.

Taking action for action sake won’t help you reach your goals. Inspired action is when you ‘feel right’ about something, whether it’s sending greeting card copy to a company or applying for a blogging opportunity. If it ‘feels’ right to you go for it, keep the ‘end result’ in mind.

Sixth Step

The sixth step was to release my goals.

You know you’ve done your best and it’s time to release your goals. Think of your goals as planting seeds. A farmer doesn’t plant seeds and then dig them up to see ‘why’ whatever it is they planted isn’t growing. They plant the seeds, water them (or not), and let nature take its course.

If you keep revising your goals and strategizing over and over again how you’ll reach them, you’ll never reach them. Take inspired action and let go!

7 Tools for Reaching Writing Goals 

Vision Boards

Vision boards are a great tool to inspire you. If your writing goal is to be a best-selling author, find the ‘word’ best-selling author and cut it out or make it in Photoshop (or some other program). Find a picture of a blank book cover and write the title of your book on it with your name on it.

Did you know Dr. Wayne Dyer always has his publisher, HayHouse, make him a preliminary book cover? He puts the book cover on another book and looks at it every time he writes. Try this technique. FYI: Dr. Dyer has published many books, DVDs, CDs, etc. some of which have been translated into different languages.

Let Go

If you squeeze your goals to death, you’ll kill them. Relax, breathe, and let go of your goals. Intuitive spiritual coach Colette Baron-Reid often says, “That which is yours can’t be taken away from you.” Remember, make sure you want to reach the goals you’ve set for yourself.

Volunteer

To get your mind off your goals and give back to your community at the same time, volunteer at your favorite charitable organization. I volunteered for The Arizona Humane Society and loved it. I started as a dog walker but started helping with events and became a camp counselor in the Humane Education department. It was a lot of fun!

Affirmations

You may have heard of affirmations, which are positive statements that you say to yourself. In order for affirmations to work, you must believe in them. You must feel them; otherwise, you’ll be repeating a bunch of words over and over that don’t mean anything.

Check out this post on affirmations for writers which can help you get started using affirmations to reach your writing goals. Remember ‘to feel’ the statements as you say them.

Meditation

Yes, you can meditate. All it takes is 10-15 minutes per day. Find a quiet space in your home and zone out. Let all of your thoughts go and focus on your breathing.

Prayer

You may not be into prayer and that’s fine. But for writers who are, I’d like to give you a guide on ‘how to’ pray.

When I say prayer, I’m not talking about the, “Dear God (Universal Source, Universal Intelligence, etc.), I would like to be a published, best-selling author. If this happens, I promise I’ll be nicer to my ex-husband.” This won’t work. And you may want to be nicer to your ex-husband to build up ‘good’ karma.

Try a prayer like this…

Dear (fill in the blank),

Help me to release my writing goals and allow everything to unfold in the perfect time. I place my book, screenplay, freelance writing business, ghost writing business, etc. on the altar and release it to you. With your help, I know I’ll reach my writing goals.

This is just an example. You can say any prayer you want as long as it’s NOT the good ol’ “give me this, and I’ll give you that” type of bargaining prayer.

Journaling

Go to the store and purchase a couple of journals, even notebooks will do. You can journal in the morning, night, or both. Write about your day and get everything out of your system. Vent about the client that always changes a deadline. Vent about how your kids or family members that are driving your nuts. Clear your emotions. By the way…Clarity can do wonders for your writing.

Now that you got everything out of your system, write down your writing goals for the next three months, six months, or one year. Think about what you’d like to accomplish. What do you see yourself writing? Where do you want to be? Get all of your goals out of your head and onto the pages of your journal.

Finally, put your journal away until the next day when you’ll read what you wrote. You may discover that the writing goals you wrote ARE NOT the ones you want to reach after all. This is okay. Begin again by thinking about your writing and what you’d like to bring to people. What does your writing look like? What does it feel like? Be honest.

What to do Right Now

Clear your mind of negative thoughts by CHOOSING thoughts and beliefs about your writing and or being a published author or well-paid freelance, ghost or creative writer that feel good. Don’t try to control your thoughts because you’ll become frustrated.

Grab a pen and paper or open a blank Word document and start writing and or typing your writing goals. Review your list and revise it until you are 100% certain you want to reach every goal on it.

You can reach your writing goals without much effort. There’s no need to struggle, push, or pull. You don’t even have to work hard.     All it takes is focus, discipline, determination, and perseverance to reach your writing goals.

Remember, you may not reach your writing goals tomorrow, but you’ll reach them by taking inspired action, believing you can reach your goals, and visualizing the ‘end’ result.

What are you waiting for? Start thinking about your writing goals or visit the ones you have.

Don’t procrastinate.

Grab your laptop, iPad, netbook, or pen and paper and compile a list of writing goals.

Start right now!

 

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