Become a Goal Achiever
"Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off the goal." - Henry Ford
Are you feeling overwhelmed? Does it seem like
there are constant obstacles in your path? Do you imagine some maniacal
being is sabotaging you by thwarting your progress?
An Expert Author recently expressed this same
frustration, stating it's easy to make goals, visualize yourself meeting
them, but actually doing it during the daily grind is another story.
I'm going to share with you what I shared with her: Whether your goal is to write a 50,000 word novel for NaNoWriMo or publish 30 articles by the end of the month, you can set actionable steps to feasibly achieve your goals by chunking.
What Is Chunking?
Chunking is the process of dividing something
into smaller chunks. You can chunk down to create actionable steps and
chunk up to prioritize your efforts.
Think of it like you're looking at a forest:
- Chunk Down: See the forest (goal) for the trees (details). Consider the elements and details that make the goal whole.
- Chunk Up: See the forest (goal) as a whole. Avoid getting so wrapped up in the details that you lose sight of the big picture.
How Do You Do It?
Chunking down is best done with a map as a guide. Here's how to make your map:
- Once you've established your goal, write it down.
- Chunk down by writing all of the steps and elements you need to take to get there.
- Draw arrows indicating the order of events between the steps.
For example, let's say I want to publish 30 articles by the end of the month. Here's what my map (in part) may look like:
Once you have a map detailing the chain of events needed to achieve your goal, move forward by planning a timetable.
When Do You Do It?
Once you've established a road map, chunk your
time by creating a timetable. Of course, be realistic with the
timetable, but be okay with a challenge. Push the limit!
For example, I know I take approximately 1 hour
and 30 minutes to draft an article of 700-1,000 words. This estimate may
be less with zero distractions, but I'm never 100% distraction free so
I'm giving myself a little wiggle room. I usually will take an
additional 30 minutes to revise, edit, proofread, and perform final
edits. To submit and publish, I will allot at least 5 minutes to ensure
all of the information in the Write & Edit
submission form of my account is correct. I'll also take 10 minutes to
prepare a few social media posts to be ready to promote the article once
it's live. From start to finish, I clock 2 hours and 15 minutes for one
article.
To write 30 articles (to meet my goal), I will
need to allot 67 hours and 30 minutes for the duration of one month.
Since I have various non-writing duties and priorities (as well as a few
holidays this month), I need to chunk out my writing schedule to
accommodate my writing goal accordingly.
First, I've estimated the duration of my daily
writing sessions to determine how much time each day I will be
dedicating to writing:
- 1 article = 2 hours and 15 minutes
- 2 articles = 4 hours and 30 minutes
- 3 articles = 6 hours and 45 minutes
Next, I'll create a timetable to stay on the
ball. I'll also share this with my team, family, and friends to secure
their support.
Based on this timetable, I'll have written 30
articles by day 25 with planned catch-up days (in case my writing
sessions are interrupted and I go over the time I allot myself) as well
as breaks to refresh and celebrate holidays with my family.
It's never too late to get on track with your
goals. When you break goals into doable chunks, it's much easier and
more motivating to achieve them. Set a goal, apply the chunking method,
embrace it by taking action, and don't take your eyes off the goal!
What method do you use to achieve your goals? Click here to let us know - we'd love to hear from you! |
To Your Article Writing Success & Passion!
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