About fourteen months ago, I signed with literary agent Chip MacGregor. He sent me a document—kind of a “getting to know you” interview. It had twelve pages of questions about my life, my past, my plans, and my dreams. By the time I’d finished answering those questions, the document was 28 pages long.
Phew. So far, this having-an-agent thing seemed like a lot of work.
But there was something magical about that document, because reviewing it fourteen months later, I realize that many of the things that had seemed like pipe dreams in the fall of 2013 are now reality. The most obvious is my freelance editing business. Chip often challenges his authors to think creatively about how they can make a living as a writer. For me, editing has always come pretty easily, so a freelance editing business seemed a good way to go. Now, a year later, my business is booming.
Tweet this: There’s something magical about writing down your #goals. Share your #2015 goals today.
There are other things, too. This blog, for instance. I promised myself I would start to blog regularly, and now I am, thanks to my critique partners here in the Quid Pro Quills. Also, I’m in the process of self-publishing a book, something I’d barely considered a year ago. I’d made it my goal to finish one book and begin another, and I’m halfway through that second one, which is a slightly different genre than I’d written before. And I’m attempting to build a speaking/teaching ministry, which I’d only dreamed about a year ago.
Tweet this: Those who write their #goals are 95% more likely to achieve them. Share yours with us!
I believe the hours and hours and I spent answering those questions for Chip—committing my dreams to the harshness of paper and pen or, in this case, black pixels on white—made them no longer just dreams. It made them goals. And when you write down your goals, you’re more likely to achieve them.
I’m sure some psychologist could tell you why that is. I prefer to think of it as magic—saves me the brain power. Whatever the reason, I’m a new believer in firm, written goals. I’ll be updating those goals again this year. I can’t wait to see what God has store for 2015.
Have you written down your goals for 2015?
Are there any you’d like to share today?
Robin Patchen lives in Edmond, Oklahoma, with her husband and three teenagers. She is the author of two books, Faith House and One Christmas Eve, both Christmas stories, and a freelance editor at Robins Red Pen. Read excerpts and find out more at her website.
There’s something special about Christmas movies. We look forward to watching them every December. They usher in the Christmas season.