Person on the Page

I am writing this on New Year’s Eve, in the midst of the resolution-setting season. As I’m sitting here, I imagine that writers out there in the world are considering whether or not to set writing goals for the upcoming year. A born plan-maker and strategy-formulator myself, I have posed writing challenges for myself in the past as other new years have rung in. And I confess that, for many and varied reasons, I have seldom met those challenges.  So, I have asked myself, why set writing goals at all?  Am I not just setting myself up for failure?  For disappointment?

The decision to set writing goals is logical, I suppose. We are unlikely to accomplish something unless we set an intention and make a plan to do so. We may miss out on the pride of accomplishment if we haven’t presented ourselves with a stated challenge.  But as with any resolution for a new year, we should be aware of the possible negative consequences. Setting goals that we are unlikely to reach does little to advance ourselves as writers.  However, especially as we transition from one year to the next, we are wise to draw at least a penciled-in path into the future.

Perhaps just committing to writing during the next year is goal enough for writers.  Just a determination to show up for a pre-determined amount of time per day or per week to write.  A resolution to be there, getting words on the page, no matter how they land. This may be the single most important goal to establish. Most writers have other responsibilities, like making a living or caring for a family, that impede their writing progress.  So maybe just resolving to be there for the writing is enough.

If we do set writing goals, they should be modest and easily attainable. Trying to reach an unrealistic goal sets us up for discouragement. Unrealistic goals get left behind as we tackle life’s challenges throughout the year. Reaching a small goal, one that seems almost too easy to reach, may give us the sense of accomplishment that we need to inspire us to keep writing.

When we have a writing success, however we define it, and whether or not it is the result of meeting a goal, we should pause and acknowledge the triumph. Writers generally receive little support or encouragement from others.  We must recognize and reward our own accomplishments, even if we do so only by pausing to appreciate the moment.    

As I see my friends posting their New Year’s resolutions on Facebook, I applaud them.  But, based on my past experiences, I shy away from establishing resolutions for myself.  As a writer, similarly, I am cautious about deciding to set writing goals for the upcoming year. Still, I know that we can benefit from meeting a challenge we have set for ourselves, no matter how small.  But most importantly, we benefit from the occasional pause to recognize and acknowledge our writing accomplishments throughout the year.