Mastering Success: A Guide to Setting SMART Goals for Writers

To start 2024 off, I am going to be setting goals – SMART goals. This isn’t something I normally do, or if I do they aren’t measurable or specific. To learn more about goal setting, I’ve researched SMART goals.

Have you heard the acronym?

The approach to goal-setting seems to make all the difference. And, one effective method is SMART goals – Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. In this blog post, I’ll look at using SMART goals as a writer to help set, and achieve, our goals!

**Be sure to download your FREE 15-page, printable goal setting booklet!**

1: Specific – The S in SMART goals

The first step in setting a SMART goal is to make it specific. Vague objectives often lead to confusion and lack of focus. Instead of saying, “I want to write today,” specify your goal as “I will write for 30 minutes every morning before work.” The more details you provide, the clearer your path to success becomes.

Homework: set 5 specific goal s for your writing.

2. Measurable

Measuring progress is crucial for staying on track and motivated. Your goals should be quantifiable. For instance, if your aim is to read more books, make it measurable by setting a target like “I will read one book per month.” This way, you can easily track your achievements and adjust your efforts if needed.

Grab your book tracker here! 3. Achievable

If we set unrealistic goals we’ll get frustrated, demotivated, and possibly quit. We want to make sure our goals are attainable and achievable within the given resources and constraints. If you want to learn a new technology to help with your writing, setting a goal of total competence within a month might be unrealistic. Instead, consider a goal like “I will learn this new technology in three months.”

What new technology do you want to learn to help you as you write?

Click the graphic for your Goal Planner! 4. Relevant

Ask yourself if your goal is truly relevant to your aspirations. If you’re working toward publishing a book, setting a goal to improve relevant skills or sign with an agent would be more aligned with your ambitions than a goal unrelated to your field.

Look back at the 5 goals you set. Are they relevant to your writing career?

5. Time-bound – the T in SMART goals

Without a deadline, goals can easily fall by the wayside. Establishing a timeframe creates a sense of urgency and helps you stay focused. Rather than saying, “I will start my own writing business,” set a time-bound goal like “I will launch my writing business within six months.” This adds a level of accountability and pushes you to take consistent action.

What deadline can you set for your goals?

What do you think? Incorporating SMART criteria into the goal-setting process is a powerful strategy for achieving success. By making our goals Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound, we can have a clear roadmap to follow. I’d love to hear your goals – let me know in the comments!

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font-size: 12px!important; font-family: 'Open Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0; position: relative; vertical-align: top; font-style: normal; font-weight: 700; } #mlb2-10429464.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-fieldRow .custom-select, #mlb2-10429464.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-horizontalRow .custom-select { background-color: #ffffff !important; color: #333333 !important; border-color: #cccccc; border-radius: 4px !important; border-style: solid !important; border-width: 1px !important; font-family: 'Open Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px !important; line-height: 20px !important; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding: 10px 28px 10px 12px !important; width: 100% !important; box-sizing: border-box !important; max-width: 100% !important; height: auto; display: inline-block; vertical-align: middle; background: url('https://assets.mlcdn.com/ml/images/de...') no-repeat right .75rem center/8px 10px; -webkit-appearance: none; -moz-appearance: none; appearance: none; } #mlb2-10429464.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-horizontalRow { height: auto; width: 100%; float: left; } .ml-form-formContent.horozintalForm .ml-form-horizontalRow .ml-input-horizontal { width: 70%; float: left; } .ml-form-formContent.horozintalForm .ml-form-horizontalRow .ml-button-horizontal { width: 30%; float: left; } .ml-form-formContent.horozintalForm .ml-form-horizontalRow .ml-button-horizontal.labelsOn { padding-top: 25px; } .ml-form-formContent.horozintalForm .ml-form-horizontalRow .horizontal-fields { box-sizing: border-box; float: left; padding-right: 10px; } #mlb2-10429464.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-horizontalRow input { background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; border-color: #cccccc; border-radius: 4px; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; font-family: 'Open Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding: 10px 10px; width: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; overflow-y: initial; } #mlb2-10429464.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-horizontalRow button { background-color: #ba0c14 !important; border-color: #ba0c14; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; border-radius: 0px; box-shadow: none; color: #ffffff !important; cursor: pointer; font-family: 'Roboto Slab', serif; font-size: 17px !important; font-weight: 700; line-height: 20px; margin: 0 !important; padding: 10px !important; width: 100%; height: auto; } #mlb2-10429464.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-horizontalRow button:hover { background-color: #ba0c14 !important; border-color: #ba0c14 !important; } #mlb2-10429464.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-checkboxRow input[type="checkbox"] { box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0; position: absolute; z-index: -1; opacity: 0; margin-top: 5px; margin-left: -1.5rem; overflow: visible; } #mlb2-10429464.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-checkboxRow .label-description { color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Open Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: left; margin-bottom: 0; position: relative; vertical-align: top; } #mlb2-10429464.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-checkboxRow label { font-weight: normal; margin: 0; padding: 0; position: relative; display: block; min-height: 24px; padding-left: 24px; } #mlb2-10429464.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-checkboxRow label a { color: #000000; text-decoration: underline; } #mlb2-10429464.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-checkboxRow label p { color: #000000 !important; font-family: 'Open Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif !important; font-size: 12px !important; font-weight: normal !important; line-height: 18px !important; padding: 0 !important; margin: 0 5px 0 0 !important; } #mlb2-10429464.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-checkboxRow label p:last-child { margin: 0; } #mlb2-10429464.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-embedSubmit { margin: 0 0 20px 0; float: left; width: 100%; } #mlb2-10429464.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-embedSubmit button { background-color: #ba0c14 !important; border: none !important; border-radius: 0px !important; box-shadow: none !important; color: #ffffff !important; cursor: pointer; font-family: 'Roboto Slab', serif !important; font-size: 17px !important; font-weight: 700 !important; line-height: 21px !important; height: auto; padding: 10px !important; width: 100% !important; box-sizing: border-box !important; } #mlb2-10429464.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-embedSubmit button.loading { display: none; } #mlb2-10429464.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-embedSubmit button:hover { background-color: #ba0c14 !important; } .ml-subscribe-close { width: 30px; height: 30px; background: url('https://assets.mlcdn.com/ml/images/de...') no-repeat; background-size: 30px; cursor: pointer; margin-top: -10px; margin-right: -10px; position: absolute; top: 0; right: 0; } .ml-error input, .ml-error textarea, .ml-error select { border-color: red!important; } .ml-error .custom-checkbox-radio-list { border: 1px solid red !important; border-radius: 0px; padding: 10px; } .ml-error .label-description, .ml-error .label-description p, .ml-error .label-description p a, .ml-error label:first-child { color: #ff0000 !important; } #mlb2-10429464.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-checkboxRow.ml-error .label-description p, #mlb2-10429464.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-checkboxRow.ml-error .label-description p:first-letter { color: #ff0000 !important; } @media only screen and (max-width: 360px){ .ml-form-embedWrapper.embedDefault, .ml-form-embedWrapper.embedPopup { width: 100%!important; } .ml-form-formContent.horozintalForm { float: left!important; } .ml-form-formContent.horozintalForm .ml-form-horizontalRow { height: auto!important; width: 100%!important; float: left!important; } .ml-form-formContent.horozintalForm .ml-form-horizontalRow .ml-input-horizontal { width: 100%!important; } .ml-form-formContent.horozintalForm .ml-form-horizontalRow .ml-input-horizontal > div { padding-right: 0px!important; padding-bottom: 10px; } .ml-form-formContent.horozintalForm .ml-button-horizontal { width: 100%!important; } .ml-form-formContent.horozintalForm .ml-button-horizontal.labelsOn { padding-top: 0px!important; } } Set Goals for 2024! 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Read My Ultimate Writing Goals, then follow me on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram, and subscribe to my newsletter to keep up with news about my book and any special offers! Be sure you grab your FREE 10-step checklist to plan your novel when you subscribe!

Hi, I’m Jen! I’ve been married for over 37 years, have 5 amazing kids and 3 adorable grandkids. I homeschooled our three youngest children, and I used to blog about homeschooling. I also taught Oral Communication as an adjunct instructor for over 5 years.

Jen Dodrill Writes is born of a passion of mine – to write a novel! My first cozy mystery – Birds Alive! – releases Feb. 27, 2024!

When I’m not working, you’ll find me writing, spending time with my family, or curled up on the couch reading and drinking a mug of dark roast coffee. (Don’t forget to check out my mug shop – JDMugs!)

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