How I'm Setting New Writing Goals

There was a time when I was writing every day. I spent most of my time in college writing everything I could — essays, articles, poems, short stories, memos in the notes app on my phone, and op-eds for the school newspaper.

After graduation, I got less and less consistent. I set goals to get back on track. Some were lofty and unrealistic. Committing to writing every day isn't as easy as it sounds when you factor in all the other claims on your time. Someday, I will get there, but that someday is not happening while I am still working toward my master's degree.

In the meantime, I am setting slightly lower expectations, committing to the SMART goals practice I have been spouting at work for years, and walking the walk, as they say.

SMART Goals

Effective goals are supposed to be specific (S), measurable (M), achievable (A), realistic (R), and time-based (T). Jumping in on the deep end and trying to write every day when I haven't been writing consistently in a while doesn't really fit into those categories.

In the spirit of someday getting there, I have started setting monthly goals that hit all of the categories.

The Goal for July

For July, my goal was to reach enough reads to earn $1 on Vocal for the month without factoring in any possible bonuses.

It's specific. I was able to use my Stats and Wallet pages to measure my progress. It was achievable and realistic; I managed to exceed the goal by more than 20 cents as of today, July 31, the time-based deadline.

Working toward this required me to be more intentional. I had to work on my writing more than usual to finish stories and poems for publication on a timeline that would earn enough reads. Before July, I was not writing or publishing enough to reach $1 from reads in one month in my entire time on Vocal.

I also paid more attention to my stats than I normally do. I interacted more within the community and read more work by other writers. This goal was a trial run as a mid-year shift to how I am shifting my original writing goals for the year.

The Goal for August

The goal ahead of me for August requires many of the same steps. At the end of the month, I want my stats to show I have had at least one read total on my work each day in August.

I have come close to reaching this goal in a month before. Only three days in July show zero reads on my Stats page. I know this is realistic and achievable, but this goal has restrictions to it.

I will not be publishing anything that feels incomplete. While I have been trying to expand the kind of writing I am doing and publishing, I will not be writing rushed pieces that I don't feel confident leaving online long-term. I will also not be utilizing AI in any capacity to generate any writing or ideas; although, I never do that in a regular month either.

My Goals Going Forward

I am still determining my goals through the rest of the year. I still need to decide on what makes sense for pushing my boundaries and creating challenging new goalposts for September. Maybe my next writing goal will focus on achievements off Vocal.

Regardless of what comes next, I am getting more excited about writing again. Changing my approach to goal setting and committing to this kind of work is helping my motivation instead of turning my writing into a chore.

And if anyone has any ideas for goals I should consider in the future, I would love the suggestions.