Set goals, not resolutions
Goals and process are a Super Power
By nature, I’m lazy.
Give me a day and I will turn on the television, find sporting events, no matter how obscure to watch, or I’ll catch up on Netflix shows and reruns of the Office.
For many years, my work motivation was tied to the paycheck. I enjoyed what I do but not compared to doing nothing. I was somewhat satisfied with this arrangement. I pulled out bursts of motivation and charm to show my value and I had plenty of time to loaf around. I had task lists but some tasks would remain on that list for weeks, or they find a way to drop off.
But then I read a couple of books and my whole thought process changed. I found there were ways to be intentional, accountable, and manufacture urgency. I have applied to my work and now my writing and I’m producing better results and owning those results more than ever.
How to eat an elephant
One bite at a time. This principle sound so simple, but it’s also so boring. Have a process and do it every day. The reality is major improvement and results don’t come all at once. It comes through commitment to small tasks done consistently in service to a goal. Pulled together, they bring improvement and change.
The fallacy of New Year’s resolutions is that resolutions are made to be broken. Meanwhile, goals are meant to be achieved. Join the gym to lose weight? That membership will be cancelled by Easter. Make a goal of making at least 120 visits a year? That breaks down to 10 a month, two visits a week. It can be done. It’s the leading indicator. Losing weight will come and is the lagging indicator.
In the book Chop Wood, Carry Water, author Joshua Medcalf tells a fable of a young man who desires to become a samarai warrior and archer. Through lessons from his teacher, he learns that the process is more important that the destination. In fact, a sound process is the destination. If a process is sound, then you can apply it to any goal. Since I’ve read this book five years ago, I’ve understood that process drives consistency and consistency makes dreams come true.
Creating urgency and accountability
Process was one thing, but what drove my results faster than anything was periodization, which puts consistency on hyperdrive. Think about a yearly goal. Man, when that calendar turns to January 1, that’s a long time away to hit those goals. I’ve got time. I can plan them in January, maybe start them in February, revisit them in March. Look at that, now I’m a little bit behind on my goals. Well, I’ll work on them. But I’ve got other things going on too. Now, it’s June and I’m really behind and by September, it’s time to think of next year’s goals right?
I was first introduced to periodization in the book The 12-week Year. In it, author Brian P. Moran breaks the year into four hyper-focused 12-week periods (with a week to evaluate and create a plan for the next 12 weeks). There are two brilliant concepts in this approach:
Each week means something. If I set three key goals I want to achieve in this 12-week timeframe, each week is critical. Each day matters. There’s no time to slack off.
For each week’s goals and tasks, you tabulate the number of tasks you’ve set and how many you’ve completed. Then, you tabulate the percentage of what you’ve accomplished vs. what' you’ve set. For example, this week I’ve set 20 tasks to achieve. By the end of the week, the results are clear with no bias. If I’ve completed 15 of those, then I’m at 75 percent. Did I accomplish what I said I would at the beginning of the week? Why or why not? There have been weeks when it’s Friday and I’ve only achieved 40 percent of my weekly goals. It’s driven me to push forward and get more done.
I track everything. How many everything? From how many calls I made for work, to the pages I’ve written to even the number of alcoholic beverages I’ve had in a week. Tracking creates an acknowledment and can help enhance good behaviors and diminish bad ones.
The Next Level
I recently attended a webinar with
to discuss writing goals. There were several nuggets I pulled, but the first and most important is the reenforcement of the strategies listed above. It’s good to know that across different disciplines, the principles of clear goals, consistency, and accountability drive results.Because this was a writing workshop, Sarah provided some additional ideas that can provide more focus to these writing goals. Unlike non-writing, work-related tasks, writing can easily fall to the side. It’s hard. It can be painful and Netflix is right there.
How to maintain focus on a side hustle? It goes back to consistency with clearly defined goals, outcomes, and timelines.
Goals should be a reach, but not out of reach.
Define actions to achieve the goal
Think as a business, not a hobby.
Think of actions instead of tasks
Calendar the week with specified actions for each day
Anticipate obstacles and plan for them
Reflect and celebrate.
Important: Giving grace
Just as we keep ourselves accountable, we must all give ourselves grace. Our inner critic is our biggest saboteur and we should acknowledge that we’re going to fall short sometimes. And, that’s ok.
Life happens. Our plans and our days are blown up by other factors. And we’re not going to be at our best every moment. So, it’s important to build those in. Often, I give myself a weekly cumulative goal, like write 10 pages in a week, so if I’m not feeling it one day, I don’t feel too bad I missed a day. And I have other days to make it up.
We are human. And beating ourselves up for not meeting our expections isn't going to help. Rather, learn why we fell a little short, reflect, and adjust.
Wetzel’s 2024 Goals
The next 366 days (yes, it’s so big, we need another day) are giong to be momentous. The regular job has several challenges awaiting. My wife and I will become empty-nesters. I’m releasing my novel on April 2 and with it, a signing tour, blog/podcast tour, marketing, and new benefits for paid subsribers. And I’m turning 50.
So, given my year, my goals are a reach, but not impossible:
Goal 1: Double my newsletter subscriptions and paid subscribers
Publish 2 multi-part serials for my short fiction section
Create value-add subscriber-only content (my ideas are exciting)
Collaborate with other authors
Goal 2: Sell more copies of Lose Yourself than Friends in Low Places
10 appearances in blogs/podcast/radio/news stories
5 tour stops
Effective social media promotion
Goal 3: Finish Landslide (my next novel I’m planning to release in 2027, but will share with subscribers as a serial in 2025)
First draft completed
First round of edits completed
What are your goals?
My strategy isn’t the only one and may work only for me. What about you? How do you set goals and stay on track?
Support the Salted Wetzel
This newsletter now is subscriber supported, which means you can sign up for a paid subscription. While no content is behind a paywall for now, subscribers will receive an autographed copy of Lose Yourself on release day April 2! Subscriptions are as low as $5 a month, or $35 a year.
