Wildly Improbable Goals 2013

Last year I wrote about some Wildly Improbable Goals here on Write To Live-Live To Write, and I’m here to do it again.

Remember, Wildly Improbable Goals are the goals you set that seem just about impossible—the ones that get you scared and excited all at the same time every time you think about them.

Wildly Improbable Goals are not the run-of-the-mill goals we set every year. They are not about going back to the gym, eating better, or even writing every day. They are about dreams and possibilities and what-if-I-could-actually-pull-it-off?

It takes courage to articulate your WIGs, to say them out loud, to write them down. But the truth is, you know what they are.  Or, some part of you knows.

Sometimes I ask my clients, “What are you ready to know about…?” (…your life, …yourself, …your business?)

I’ve never had a client who couldn’t answer a question like this.

So, what’s your Wildly Improbable Goal? What is almost—just about—possibly—possible for you this year?

Go on, write it down. Remember, if you can’t dream it, you can’t do it.

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Here are my writing WIGs—the goals I can’t believe I’m writing down, never mind telling all of you about. These WIGs are my highest hopes for myself as a writer this year, and I know the only way in hell I’ll achieve them is if I truly stop procrastinating, all the planets align, and I don’t get stuck in traffic even once this year—hey, you never know.

WIG: Become a published author in 2013.

WIG: Publish a magazine article in a magazine in 2013.

WIG: Become newsletter editor for Martha Beck Inc. in 2013.

WIG: Polish and pitch my novel in 2013.

Since my first WIG is so huge, I’m once again going to write down my first steps toward this goal this year. The accountability of publishing these steps here last year was so valuable, I want to do it again this year.

WIG: Become a published author in 2013.

First Steps:

1. Have something for critique every time my writing group meets (every other week.)
2. Write in journal every day—prompts, free-writes, anything that fosters my creativity.
3. Print out novel and line edit by March 1st.
4. Commit to monthly accountability meeting with L and W.

Try thinking through the first steps that would take you to your WIG and commit to them, either to yourself or with a trusted friend.

I’ll meet you right back here at the end of the year and we can high-five each other as we see how high we’ve climbed, how far we’ve come (and whatever other achievement metaphor you can think of!)

Happy New Year, fellow writers. So glad to be here with you in 2013.