I have a couple of large writing goals for this year. One is to blog more regularly (daily, in fact), the other to finish my novel. Even more importantly, I really want to grow and mature in my faith. To accomplish these goals, I’m taking the 12-week approach to life.
What is the 12-week approach, you ask? It comes from the book The 12 Week Year: get more done in 12 weeks than others do in 12 months by Brian P. Moran and Michael Lennington. Instead of thinking of a 12 month year as the time frame for accomplishment, think of the year as lasting only 12 weeks. Chances are you’ll be driven to accomplish more because you will no longer have that sense of having lots of time.
The first step is to choose 3-4 goals to work on. Then identify your objectives and how you’re going to achieve them. At the end of each week assess your progress and map out your plan for the week to come. Schedule your activities.
So, for my goal of finishing the novel, I’ve determined to revise one chapter every weekday until I’m up to the point at which I left off. I have about 32 chapters written, so this goal will take me approximately six weeks. I’m not sure how many chapters remain beyond that (up until now I haven’t been an outliner), but writing a new chapter will take longer than revising one that’s already written. For now I’ll plan on writing one new chapter a week in the last six weeks of my 12-week year. I’ll schedule my writing for Monday, Tuesday and Friday mornings, Wednesday evenings and Thursday afternoons.
Plans are great; it’s the execution that’s more difficult. Still, I am committed. And when I am done my novel, you will hear me singing this:
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website, please visit www.susanbarclay.wordpress.com
