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THE ELUSIVE SWEET SPOT

6/5/2013

6 Comments

 
PictureF A I L
This week I did not meet my writing goals. I didn't even come close. I had planned to finish the edits on my manuscript, to the tune of six chapters, but life got in the way. Granted it was an ambitious goal, but I thought that by setting a goal I had to reach for, I'd push myself to achieve more. Instead, half-way through a busy week I hadn't done a single edit and I decided the goal was out of reach. So I didn't push myself. I didn't even try.

I gave up.

It seems the lesson here would be to set goals that are easy to attain, right?
Apparently not, at least not for me.  You see, a few weeks ago I set a "reasonable" goal:  something I thought slightly challenging and definitely attainable.  That week I ended up meeting my goal with time to spare.  And what did I do with the extra time?  Get more writing done?  Nope.  I stopped working on my manuscript because I'd already met my goal. 

I could have done more, but I didn't.

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Other weeks I somehow managed to set goals--mostly by accident--that were do-able, and a bit of a stretch, but not so much so that they were intimidating.  Those weeks I pushed myself and met my goals, even if it was often just by the skin of my teeth. 

So I can hit the target...but I'm far from consistent.


This morning I went to my "check in" session and reported on my total lack of progress toward my goals over the past week.  (Oh boy, that was fun). 

"I feel like I'm going full-bore down the Freeway of Failure!  I can't seem to get my act together and set the right 'degree' of goals," I bemoaned.

My predicament spawned a discussion about the pros and cons of ambitious goals vs the merits of those more easily attainable. 

Should you set a goal you have confidence you can achieve? 
Or one that makes you push yourself? 


One way works well for some people, while the other works for the rest. 

But neither seems to be a good fit for me.

I've been swinging like a pendulum between two extremes: 
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set goal high -- set goal low
push myself -- be conservative
reach high -- be reasonable
ambition -- caution







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Sometimes I hit and sometimes I miss, and there doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to it. 
No math, no engineering, no science, and certainly no art.  I'm at a loss....

How do I zero in on the perfect goal? 
One that's attainable with just the right amount of stretching, and no time left over at the end of the week?


"It's impossible," I bemoaned in my check-in meeting.  "I have no idea what this week will bring.  How can I set a goal that's not too big and not too small?"

"Why not do both?" asked a voice of reason.  "Set an ambitious goal and a cautious one at the same time."

"I'm sure that's not permitted," I said.  "The Official Delve Writing Goal-Setting Rules say to set 'a goal,' not some loosey-goosey range of goals.  And I'm no rule-breaker."  (Somewhere my parents are laughing hysterically at that.)
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"Now hold the phone," my mentor said (he's old fashioned that way).  "Delve's rules aren't so much rules as they are guidelines.  Suggestions.  Best bets, if you will.  Go ahead and try something different, so long as it's not illegal, and doesn't endanger any ducks."

"Leave it to flexibility and the voice of reason," I muttered, feeling chagrined I hadn't thought of it myself.

"What's that you say?" asked the voice of reason and my flexible mentor in stereo.

"Just worried about my ducks," I said, not wanting them to get big heads.  "But I'll give your idea a try."



So this writing week begins with two goals rather than one:

        CAUTIOUS GOAL:  EDIT 3 CHAPTERS

        AMBITIOUS GOAL:  EDIT 6 CHAPTERS

Do you think this will help me zero in on The Sweet Spot?

Or will I keep heading down the big Freeway of Failure?



6 Comments
Deb
6/6/2013 01:47:43 am

In project management, we often build in a 20 - 25% pad when discussing specific timelines and goals. Because stuff FREQUENTLY gets in the way of finishing things on time. Unanticipated emergencies, other tasks that you didn't plan for but which have to take priority. So there is nothing wrong with setting a desired goal, knowing that you need some wiggle room to accomodate what other things might come up.

One tactic you can take is to look over time at your ability to meet your goals and assess what usually comes up to keep you from meeting them, then adjust accordingly. I ALWAYS desire to do 6 chapters, I reasonably am able to finish 4 with some regularity means that the natural lifecycle of your project, balanced with the other committments you have or which are likely to crop up, allows for the reasonable expectation of doing 4. That then is the natural pace of your project. Way to adjust, though!

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Chris Mandeville link
6/19/2013 04:47:49 pm

Great advice, Deb. If I can ever manage to establish a pattern, I'll definitely use that to help predict what I can reasonably accomplish in a given week. Right now I'm kinda all over the place!

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Kristi Lloyd
6/6/2013 05:10:42 am

Goals can be tough. Sometimes you've made a goal and you reach it. You feel like you're on top of the world. Other times you set goals that you don't reach. That's when you need to take a step back and look at the reason(s) why you didn't reach your goal. Was it because you aimed too high or did other things get in your way?

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Jennifer Lovett Herbranson link
6/6/2013 01:14:19 pm

Chris –
I love this post. It shows us all we are not alone. Life gets in the way and that’s ok. Goal setting and planning is important because we won’t even know where to start if we don’t know where we want to go. Then we’re really stuck. But flexibility is the key to everything, so I say good girl!

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Deidre Greenly
6/7/2013 01:43:13 am

Glad to see you are attempting 'the range' approach! I'm excited to hear about it. Having weekly check-ins and an organized goal sheet has really helped me with my main problem -- too much 'brain noise'. It's awesome to hear when someone breaks through a barrier!!

Reply
Chris Mandeville link
6/19/2013 04:49:23 pm

Thank you for suggesting 'the range' to me in the first place, Deidre. It did work both in terms of practicality and psychology. I'm going to keep using that approach.

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    Chris Mandeville is the president of Delve Writing and a writer of "new adult" novels and a non-fiction project for writers. 

    This is the chronicle of her journey to define and achieve her writing goals.

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