Goals…

Alright people… let’s talk goals. Significant ones, small ones, realistic, unrealistic… what type keeps you plugging?

I made my 2500 daily goal, which I blew out of the water on Saturday. Over 8,000 words read/edited/written. (Yay me! *pat pat pat*) Upon posting that awesome goal breaker on twitter a couple people said, “Your goal must be too small, raise it!”

Hmmmm…

I thought about it, long and hard. Then Sunday came and my word count was zero! Not because I didn’t sit down, it was because I reread the 8,000 I did on Saturday (always a necessity when I stay up late, gotta look for the crazy talk… found a little LOL). With the fabulous distraction called Twitter, I didn’t even make it through the 8,000 I did on Saturday. I’d put my ultra critical thinking cap on, so of those 8,000 I probably remade it through 4…? I didn’t count.

Which then brings me to the reality of goals. Yes… Goals are good things. They help drive you forward and give you celebratory moments when you meet them or beat them… But they are not there to break YOU or your drive.

Realistic goals are important and I believe my 2500 is realistic for me and my lifestyle (There are six kids in this house at the moment who totally agree). Saturday, I had very few interruptions… I have unofficially deemed it my “If you talk to me while I am writing I will scream” day… I think the family is aware. *wink*

When I did the 8K on Saturday, I knew Sunday was going to be hectic with Church, lunch, AWANA, etc… so I felt relaxed enough to just read through and change a few details here and there that I might have missed in my sleepy-induced stupor the night before. Therefore, having my Sunday goal be “modified” I didn’t scream at anyone in that exorcist voice (yes, it exists… no you don’t want to hear it).

Had I stood firm on my goal… or even raised it, I might have placed undo stress upon myself… which then transfers to my family. So.Not.Okay. My family are living breathing humans (well most of them) who need my time just as much as my characters do. If I was to make an unrealistic goal, and they were to interrupt in my drive… Wow, so not a pretty sight.  In a perfect world, I would be graceful and stop what I am doing to do whatever the interruption has called upon me for… but let’s face it, I am not perfect… and this is no perfect world.

So, I challenge those of you with goals to really take a look at what is driving that goal and how realistic it is to your family situation. Make it obtainable without ignoring the rest of your life (I have been guilty of this… Trust me.)… whether it be children, spouses, pets or friends… remember you have a limited time on this earth and the people in front of your face (sometimes literally, I have the fingerprints on my glasses to prove it) need you more then you characters do.

That is my PSA for today… totally just a reminder for myself… Yup, I like to talk to myself, what’s it to ya?