So sometimes I bite off more than I can chew. I'm just going to go ahead and say that right now. Chances are, I'm probably not going to end up finishing 2014 with six novels. I'm going to try, but as commenter Melody pointed out, I'm at a pretty exciting time in my life and I should be LIVING life, not sitting holed up in my dorm room all day every day.
I'll give you a quick example of how things usually go.
For NaNoWriMo last month, I hit the 50k mark on the 21st. It was pretty exciting, but it was also a little depressing, because I wasn't even halfway done with the story and I only had a week and a half left in the month. Since I wanted to finish the novel before the end of the month, I set up this elaborate plan that involved writing between 6,000 and 9,000 words a day so that I would be able to finish on time. It was a little bit intense, but I figured I would be able to do it.
I was able to keep up with this plan for maybe two days. And that wore me out, so the next couple of days I wrote nothing. Which put me even further behind. So I set new, crazier goals to finish on time, and that worked for one day. And I exhausted myself and didn't write for another few days and then the month was over.
And since the end of the month, I haven't really touched it again. I need to, because I have to have it finished before the new year so that I can start my new story, but I have to recognize that I can't set ridiculously high goals for myself, because I won't be able to reach them.
And I think that is a good thing. Even in life, I always have high expectations and plans for things like college and jobs and stuff like that, and I usually make it too hard for myself, and nothing ends up actually getting done. As in everything, moderation is the key.
So I'm setting a new goal for myself and for the coming year (a little early, I know.) From now on, I'm going to do my best to keep my goals realistic so that I can actually reach these goals. If this means I have to adjust previously made goals (like my Six in 14 Project) then so be it. Because I want to be reached goals, and it is so much better to surpass goals than to fall short.
What are ways you keep goals realistic? I would love to hear about them in the comments!
Thanks for reading!
Melody is so RIGHT!!! Get out and explore and see as many sights in Korea as you possibly can. Once you leave you will probably never get back there. So live so you have no regrets. You are not under any publishing deadlines, you have a steady paycheck, so write each day, as a way of discipline, but don't stress yourself with way big goals. Ralph Moody's Uncle Levi would say "Slow and steady goes far in a day." I know that Dr. Hair is looking forward to the rest of your book. I still waiting for Reality Repair! Maybe I'll have to write that one myself. Saranghae.
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