Are you planning what you want to accomplish in 2012 yet? If not, you should be. Want to get published? Plan for it. Want to write that knockout novel? Great. What are you setting in place that will insure you get there?

Over these next three weekends, I’ll walk you through what you need to do to make 2012 a banner year of accomplishment, satisfaction and fulfillment. How will you know where to go and what to do if you don’t take time to mentally MapQuest your year? That just wouldn’t be right. You owe it to yourself, your loved ones, and your future readers to set yourself up for success. Ready to build your stellar year? Let’s get started.

Step One: Take Time to Set Goals

Sounds remedial, I know. But did you know that most people—sadly even authors—don’t set yearly goals? They may enjoy some success throughout the year, but it is merely coincidental. For example, take Harper Lee. You know her for her Pulitzer Prize winning novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. History reveals she worked for years on another novel, The Long Goodbye but never finished it. She didn’t plan or set goals. She did not give herself a deadline. It was indeed her long goodbye. She never published more than an essay here and there throughout her spiraling career and nothing since 1965.

I’m sure you don’t want future fans to read that about you in a Google search. So how can you avoid that? By setting specific goals. So how do you do that? Here are three things that will help you.

Separate those things that are critical to your success from time eaters. Is watching Driving Miss Daisy for the twenty-third time really more pressing than planning your success? No way. The movie will still be there when you have reached your goal. On the other hand, is eating when you’re hungry necessary? You bet. See? You know the difference. For now, put those non-necessary things in your life on the back burner or in the broom closet.

Start at the end of next year and work backward. Today—yes in December 2011—peer into the future and determine where you want to be in 365 days. Get a clear picture in your mind and emotions. Do you want to have a completed manuscript in your hand? Or even better, in your newly signed agent’s hand? Do you envision yourself having helped hungry children in Central America? Wonderful. Now that you see that, rewind back to today and write them down.

Begin with the end in mind. You wouldn’t think of taking weekly dance lessons if you didn’t want to become a dancer. Nor would you expect to win Wimbledon if you didn’t set that as a goal.

Every goal has specific steps you’ll need to take in order to make that goal attainable. Next week we’ll look at those steps. That gives you exactly seven days to sit down and set some goals. You have little to lose but everything to gain.

Reba J. Hoffman
Member Care Coach

What sort of goals do you want to set for yourself? Need encouragement. Email me. I’d love to hear from you. reba@mybooktherapy.com.