ROW80 Round 4 Goals: Am I SMART Enough?

Thanks to Eden’s recent talk about SMART Goals on our ROW80 website, I’m reviewing exactly what SMART means:

• Specific – target a specific area for improvement.
• Measurable – quantify or at least suggest an indicator of progress.
• Achievable – have the specific skills needed to achieve the goal.
• Realistic – state what results can realistically be achieved, given available resources.
• Time-related – specify when the result(s) can be achieved

I would like to do a better job of crafting my ROW80 goals so that they are more realistic (I tend to have longer lists than I can complete – though I don’t want to leave any area out). And I’d like my goals to have tighter deadlines, as the goals tend to slide into longer and longer lists! So, in Round 4, areas for me to be more aware of are:

1. Scope of my to-do list.
2. Identify more clearly what constitutes progress and IF I can realistically achieve the goal.
3. Set more specific deadlines (not the amorphous ‘by the next check-in’).

Eden points out that Scott Barry Kaufman, in Ungifted, suggests that scientists are looking at what motivates us to succeed. He identifies two types of goals:

Learning goals — these tend to be self-directed, usually involve a personal desire for self-improvement ⇒ lead to mastery.

Performance goals — these tend to be motivated by external rewards such as money, status, approval of others ⇒ can lead to fear of failure.

I’m not so comfortable with an either/or explanation for what drives us to write – or to be successful, though Kaufman’s learning vs. performance may help us move away from writer’s block. But I’m noticing that as summarized, learning goals lead to MASTERY (positive), while performance goals "can" lead to FAILURE (negative). For me, putting food on the table is not a negative goal.

Also, are the scientists suggesting that self-affirmations are more important than affirmations from others? For example, support from significant others (notably my DH) keeps me writing, but I don’t write for him. To be fair to Kaufman, I ‘should’ probably read Ungifted.

Also, notice how the first SMART goal (target a specific area for improvement) puts our SMART goals squarely in Kaufman’s LEARNING GOALS!

And, just maybe I’m motivated by performance goals as well, for I write for that zing when a passage, or a scene, or a chapter sings with truth and connects with my readers. Some days, too, I hope for that monthly deposit from book sales to be more than a token amount. For that seems like a nice form of external validation.

So, SMART goals work for me. What motivates me to succeed is that desire to tell a story, to write with discipline, and to achieve balance in my life. That means keeping my goals focused and simple. 

Here are my Round 4 goals:  

1. Writing: Complete revisions and write wrap-around materials for Rivers of Stone by year-end. Prioritize writing projects (Prequel + Memoir). Write at least 30 poems by end of October.

2. Blogging: Post in Writing blog x1 and ROW80 blog x2/each week. Read other writers x6.

3. Reading: Read 10 books a month. Review 1 book each month.

4. Marketing: Work on release of Rivers of Stone before the end of 2017. Work on marketing 3 hours each week.

5. Other: Write 2 articles a month. Continuing: SASP Publicity. Quilt, exercise, maintain healthy balance with family, volunteering, and all else.

After all this glorious planning, I'm going to be MISSING for much of October. 

Notwithstanding earthquakes, flooding, and devastating tropical storms, we are leaving for a 17-day trip October 7 at well before the crack-of-dawn. I will have my mini-laptop with me but will have very limited internet access as we meander down the coast of Mexico, cross the Panama Canal, and land in New Orleans for a few days before flying home. Maybe I'll find that next story along the way.

I just want you to know that I won’t be able to read what you post or put up any weekly check-ins for that time. But I will be writing, AND I wish you every success in this last round of 2017.

NOTE: Just in case you were thinking of donating, here's a link to an article by Global Giving (top rated by Charity Navigator) about their relief fund for Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands: https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/hurricane-maria-caribbean-relief-fund/