5 Steps for Setting Writing Goals You’ll Actually Keep

We know the weeks right at the top of a new year are prime time for goal-setting. But you can set new goals any time of year.

Why not take some time this week to refresh your mindset and set yourself up for success?

Whether you want to crank out 1,000 words a day or get three great new clients, why not take some time to get on the track to meet those goals?

Setting goals and conducting regular self-reviews are great ways to see how you’re doing. These strategies can help you take concrete steps to attain your goals and help you revise and adapt as needed along the way.

“I don’t have time to set goals and review them.”

Have you ever said this? Why would you take time you could be spending to craft pitches and crank out articles to instead set goals and conduct self-review?

Because it’s easy to go too long without thinking about your higher-level goals.

You might spend hour upon hour cranking out $20 articles about pigeons when you really want to be writing $2,000 articles about new, cutting-edge dental procedures.

Taking the time to step back from your immediate deadlines and projects allows you to think about where you’d like to be — and chart a path to get there.

Ready to recharge with a goals check-in? Here’s what to do:

5 Surprising Ways Negative Thinking Can Make You a More Productive Writer

Creative people are wired differently from others. We feel deeply, question ourselves often, and battle resistance daily.

As such, many writers struggle with depression, anxiety, or other mood disorders, which can lead to negative thinking. Conventional wisdom maintains that negative thoughts are unproductive and nothing good can come from them.

I disagree. Negative thoughts can fuel fantastic, visceral writing.

I’ve struggled with anxiety and depression for as long as I can remember, and have experienced my fair share of dark thoughts. For years, any time I felt consumed by negativity, I made it worse by anguishing over how it was standing in the way of my creative ambitions. The more I tried to force positivity, the less productive I was.

I finally accepted I’m going to have low points — maybe more frequently than others. But by doing so, I’ve learned ways to use negative thoughts as productive, inspiring tools in the creative