Writing Goals: What Are the Benefits?

We started this new series on writing goals with this article: “Writing Goals: Make Them Real.”

Please read that article and create at least two goals if you haven’t already done so. Ensure that these goals are both specific, and have a timeframe for completion.

(You can create as many goals as you like, of course. I recommend that you create just two major goals. Limit yourself to four. No one has time to focus on more than four goals during any time period.)

Staying with our previous example, let’s say that one of your goals is: “Six months from today, by March 30 2012, I make $500 a day from my writing. I write articles for websites and magazines, and for business clients.”

Your next step, after you’ve chosen a goal, and have made it both specific and have chosen a timeframe, is to write down some benefits for your goal.

(The step after than one, if you want to skip ahead, is to identify all the obstacles you can see to your goal’s achievement.)

Achieving your goal: the benefits

So… the benefits.

Daydream a little.

It’s six months from today. You’ve achieved your goal. You’re making $500 a day. How has your life benefited from this?

Consider: you’re making $3,500 a week, some $15,000 a month, which is probably more than you’re making now.

Please take a few moments. Close your eyes. Imagine your new situation, now you’ve achieved the goal. How has your achievement affected not only you, but also the people around you?

Some benefits might be:

* You’re paying off debt. You can see your credit card debt and other debts shrinking;

* As a result of having more financial stability, you’re more relaxed than you were six months ago. Your relationships with family members have improved, since you’re no longer under stress;

* You’ve given up your day job, giving you more time for your writing, and more time with your family;

* You’re feeling a real sense of achievement, and of freedom too, since your confidence has improved…

Important: please WRITE down your benefits. You may think you can keep the benefits in mind, but you can’t. Write them down. I keep all my goals’ information in Evernote, because I can review the data anywhere I choose, on any device.

When they create a goal, most writers write down something like “I want to make money writing” and they leave it at that.

Can you see that “I want to make money writing” is just a wish?

Now you know that a goal must be both specific and measurable, you know that a wishy washy daydream like “I want to make money writing” is not a goal.

A real goal, has real focus, like this:

“Six months from today, by March 30 2012, I make $500 a day from my writing. I write articles for websites and magazines, and for business clients.”

It’s also essential that you WRITE DOWN the benefits to any goals’ achievement. When you write down the benefits, you’ll change. You’ll see possibilities. Each time you review the benefits, you’ll get fresh inspiration.

Writing down the benefits makes a goal real, to you.

So today, take a moment, and consider your goals. Write down the benefits. Think about them.

Watch for further articles in this series. In our next article, we’ll bring our goals down to earth, by considering our obstacles to achievement.

Please share your thoughts (and your goals if you wish) in the comments.

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