As for goals, I don't set myself those anymore. I'm not one of these 'I must have achieved this and that by next year' kind of writers. I take things as they come and find that patience and persistence tend to win out in the end. Paul Kane
The question that comes
to mind is “Does it have to be an either/or proposition?”
Many years ago, I took the
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator test, which is a personality test. I don’t know how rare it is, but I scored
exactly 50/50 for being an introvert/extrovert.
This tendency toward inner conflict is revealed in other aspects of my
personality, as well, such as having the need to set goals, but then feeling
boxed in by them. It even shows up in my
writing, as I am a “plantser”. I have to
have some sort of structure to guide me, but room to let the creative imps out
to play.
Goal setting is very
important, as it keeps us on track for whatever it is we want to accomplish. Early on I read a wonderful book, Writing
Brave and Free by Ted Kooser and Steve Cox, that said to write at least ten minutes
every day and make goals. This wisdom I
took seriously, began writing ten minutes a day, and made the goal to be
published somewhere within two years. (Which I am happy to say I met!)
The upside to goal
setting is that we have a measuring stick for how far we’ve gone on the road
toward reaching our dreams. Goals also help
us to know when something isn’t working, and fix it. Unfortunately, if you consistently don’t meet
your goals, it can be pretty demoralizing.
If I were to rely on
only patience and persistence, I could rationalize myself out of finishing
anything I started. I could patience
myself into stagnation. But, especially
in creative endeavors, a certain level of patience is required. Words don’t always flow like a gushing river,
editing can be time-consuming, and then there is always the inevitable wait
after submission, whether that be to a magazine, agent or publisher.
I have been frustrated
lately, as each writing goal I set drops away, unmet. Other life needs get in
the way of writing, and I have been reduced, for the time being, to making my
goal to write ten minutes a day. Now is
the time I need to incorporate patience into my writing process – patience for
myself, patience for where my life is right now, and patience with the long
process writing a novel entails. And
keep persisting, moving forward toward the finish line, even if it is measured
only in tiny steps.
How about you? Do you lean more heavily toward goal setting or patience/persistance?
How about you? Do you lean more heavily toward goal setting or patience/persistance?
