Monday Motivation- Six Reasons to Set Writing Goals

Welcome to Monday Motivation – Six Reasons to Set Writing Goals

My experience with writers is that we generally look at things like structure, process, and goals as being antithetical to the writing life. And to some people, maybe they are. Writing is so deeply personal, that to try and do a one-size fits all approach to how, when, or why you write would be laughable… at best. Some people need goals, some don’t. 

That said, I believe that the wonky, underbelly parts of writing like structure and goals can be tremendously helpful to many—maybe even most—writers. Yes, some people can sit down and just write rainbows, but for many writers, myself included, we need a bit more structure to get our work done. 

Without writing goals, I spin. I’ll have a half-dozen, half-finished projects, none of which achieve the level I want from them. It’s frustrating, and taken to the extreme, has sometimes even challenged me to ask if I am a writer at all. I mean, if I can’t finish a project, if I can’t get something done, why am I spending so much time alone in the early morning to write? What’s the point? 

All that to say, writing goals fill a huge gap for me, because goals put guardrails over what, when, and why I write. Yes, goals constrict my creative freedom, but I am comfortable with this tradeoff because, ultimately, I want to see projects finished at their highest potential. I’m willing to say no to the one thousand ideas that pop into my head each day in order to push towards the goal of creative completion. 

There are tons of reasons to set writing goals, but if you are on the fence and wonder if you should set writing goals in 2020, I want to talk through six reasons of not having a writing goal. 

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