Becoming Yourself

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Tag: Book Marketing Simplified podcast

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Realize Your Dream with S.M.A.R.T. Goals (Part 2)

January 21, 2023 / / 0 Comments

I recently came across this post I originally published April 16, 2022. As January is a time for reflection and goal setting for many of us, I’m sharing it again in hopes that it helps you take another step toward Becoming Yourself.

A goal without a plan is only a dream.

Brian Tracy

In my last post, I told the story of my author dream and the goals I set to help it become a reality.

How can you set effective goals for your dream? Here are some helpful tips I learned from the Book Marketing Simplified podcast on making S.M.A.R.T. goals. A S.M.A.R.T. goal is:

Specific Measurable Achievable Relevant Timely

Specific

Dreams are spacious and often vague. Goals are sharp and clear. Determine thoughtful, reasoned actions that will maximize your efforts and move you in the desired direction. The fact that my four writing goals were focused and sequential helped me stay on course and persevere.

Measurable 

Establish definable metrics so you know if you’ve reached your goal or not. One of my measurable goals was “Complete the rough draft of a full-length book” vs. the indefinable “Do some writing.” I knew I had met this goal when I wrote “The End.”

Achievable

While having a big dream is wonderful, having unrealistic goals is not. Smaller, realistic goals will give you observable progress and keep you motivated. One of my achievable goals was “Get any book deal” vs. “Get a huge advance plus a movie deal.”

Relevant

Make sure each goal is in direct service to your dream. Other good ideas or passions might pop up during this process. Set aside those that lead you off the path. You can revisit them later. I considered music goals while pursing my writing goals, but saying no to them helped me focus.

Timely

If your goals have no end date, you’re far less likely to achieve them. Having a deadline provides motivation. Even if you don’t meet it, a timeline helps you reevaluate and make revisions for the future. For me, this was giving myself twelve months to meet my first income goal.

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So which dream are you ready to pursue? What are three S.M.A.R.T. goals you can make right now to help you realize that dream? Make them Specific. Make them Measurable. Make them Achievable. Make them Relevant. Make them Timely. If you do, your dream will be another step closer to reality, and you’ll take another step toward Becoming Yourself.

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Realize Your Dreams with S.M.A.R.T. Goals (Part 1)

January 14, 2023 / / 0 Comments

I recently came across this post I originally published April 9, 2022. Given that January is time for reflection and goal setting for many of us, I thought I’d share it again in hopes that it helps you take another step toward Becoming Yourself.

I’ve dreamed of being an author since I was a kid.

The creative outlet. Having people enjoy my stories. Being my own boss. Having a flexible schedule. Making a difference in people’s lives.

For forty years that remained just a dream. Why? Because I never made any goals to bring that dream to life. A dream is only a destination. Goals are a roadmap to get you there.

When I was finally ready to take my author dream seriously, I made four goals:

1. Write a book.

This was something I’d never done before. Go from Chapter One until The End. Just finish, even if no one ever read it.

2. Get an agent.

Have a literary professional believe in me and my book enough to represent me.

3. Get a book deal.

Any book deal. From anybody. For any amount of money.

4. Make a living wage from writing for one year.

This was not so much about the money, but what it signifies—that a publisher and readers invested enough in my books to support me for a year.

Photo by Patrick Fore on Unsplash

I set those goals five years ago. I’m thrilled and a little stunned that I have achieved them all. Now I’m moving on to new goals, like having my debut series (the first two books publish May 9, 2023 and you can learn about them here) sell well enough that my publisher wants additional books, and being able to earn a living wage as an author for five consecutive years.

Making effective goals can feel overwhelming. I recently listened to a really helpful Book Marketing Simplified podcast on setting S.M.A.R.T. goals. In my next post, I’ll share some tips on how to apply that wisdom to your dream. Until then, decide what dream you’re ready to work on. If you do, you’ll be on your way to making it a reality, and you’ll take another step toward Becoming Yourself.

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