Hi everyone,
I think I went a bit overboard with my goal-setting (obsessive? me?), but an anxiety attack and a few dozen cups of coffee later, I’ve managed to settle on some sort of structure for the coming year.
My priorities for 2024 are writing (a lot), submitting that writing relentlessly, making Wordling Plus an unmatchable resource for writers, and spreading the word about this newsletter. There are a lot of moving parts to both writing books and growing a business, but if I can stay focused on these four areas, I’ll have had a good year.
Because I’m nothing without numbers, here’s how I’ll be tracking these goals:
- Write a million words: I’ve written 450,000 words this year, which included a 60,000-word online course for a freelance client and a novel. It was all fairly easy and effortless and so, despite the large number, this feels like a doable goal for me.
- 100 submissions: My original goal was 100 rejections, but my 11-year-old said, “I don’t like it. Rejections are no more in your control than acceptances.” So I changed it.
- Add 100 pieces of content to Wordling Plus: In 2023 we’ve added 480, but that’s included most of my existing courses, trainings, etc., so 100 more seems like a doable challenge.
- Get 365 mentions for The Wordling: This could be guest posts, media mentions, or shout-outs in other newsletters. I’m not picky!
I’m more excited about these goals than I have been about anything for a long time. And the reason is that I’m actually basing my goals on what I want to do this year rather than what I should do. For so long, I’ve set income goals and focused on growing my business in a way that reflects external success and, once all my needs were met, that no longer felt motivating. Instead, I’ve started looking at my day-to-day life and seeing whether I’m enjoying what I’m doing today. Am I happy today? Did I feel fulfilled today? Would I be happy if I were to live this day on repeat for the next year? And if not, what needs to change?
In terms of writing and business, the above goals feel like they’ll allow me to do what I most love, while providing enough of a challenge that I won’t easily get bored.
Are you thinking about goals for next year? How are you setting them? Hit reply on this email and talk to me. I’d love to know!
Cheers,
Natasha
P.S. I have a couple of coaching spots opening up in January. I’m especially keen to work with writers who are looking to finish books or launch newsletters in the coming year. If that’s you, get in touch and we’ll have a brief Zoom conversation to see if it’s the right fit. Details here.