In a post on the Stage 32 blog, Shannon Valenzuela adds a different view to the list of articles about New Year’s Writing Goals. Instead of discussing word count and project-related goals – which are still important! – she discusses the systems we need to put in place to support them.
In Atomic Habits, James Clear says that we rise to meet our goals but fall to the level of the systems we have in place to reach them. “This means that while we aspire to reach terrific heights with the goals we set, we are only ever going to make as much progress as our systems support,” Valenzuela explains. In other words, you are only as good as your habits.
For many of us, the thrill of new goals is sustained by a rush of good habits…that last only a couple of weeks. Your goal might be specific, realistic, and achievable, but you’ll reach it only if you have a system – small goals and habits – that can get you there. “When we set a goal, we’re setting a future version of ourselves into motion,” Valenzuela says. “We’re asking ourselves to evolve, to be transformed. But transformation requires a process. It requires systems: those daily habits that, ever so gradually, shape us into who we are meant to be.”
Valenzuela takes a look at two creative goals and how to approach the systems you need to reach them:
- Goal #1: Creative Production. Before you decide on 2023 goals, you should review how well you did against your goals last year. How much work did you complete? What did you learn? You should also consider what you’ll learn from next year’s goals and how they support your overall career strategy. To develop your system, Valenzuela suggests breaking down your creative productivity. How often do you write and how much do you accomplish in that time? How much time do you spend researching? How many edits and rewrites do you usually need? Ask yourself if these habits serve your goal. If not, something needs to change. Consider the obstacles that inhibit your writing, whether they are personal, familial, or environmental. “The more you can anticipate obstacles and figure out how to set yourself up for success ahead of time, the more likely you’ll be to stick with the new routine,” Valenzuela writes.
- Goal #2: Replace Day Job Income. Ambitious! “So many of us dream about being able to one day replace our income with our writing or our creative work, but it stays a dream because we don’t have an actionable plan to get us there,” Valenzuela says. As with goal 1, your first step is an assessment. Did you make any money from your creative work last year? How much would you need to make to replace your regular income? Maybe this year isn’t the year to quit your day job, but you can start down that path. You can set a monthly or annual creative income goal or set a percentage. Once you have that goal, you need to create your supporting system. “What actions do we need to take on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis to hit that goal?” Valenzuela asks. Those actions will be tied to your creative production, but will also involve marketing and networking. Do you have a plan for those on top of your creative plan?
“Each goal you set for yourself is going to follow this same process,” Valenzuela says. “You’ll need to assess where you are, set the goal, and then map out the system that will get you there. This goes for “hard goals” (ones that have numbers attached, like the production or income goals we’ve discussed) and for “soft goals” like skill building or networking.”
