Friday, September 14, 2012

Do You Set Goals?

As I, Millie Samuelson, resume my author-life following several months off to move, resettle and travel, I was tremendously inspired by an author friend's recent blog. After I finished reading it, I immediately bought the book she mentioned. Plus I started a new list of writing and publishing goals for the remainder of this year. 
 
My next action was to ask my friend if I could share her blog with you today. Obviously, she said "yes" because here it is. One favor please, zip over to her site and "meet" her before you read her blog below. And after you've read it, I'm guessing you'll do what I did (unless you already have the book she refers to): you'll quickly purchase Write His Answer by Marlene Bagnull.
 
Do You Set Goals?
from her blog Friday, July 27, 2012

A couple of weeks ago I rediscovered a book as I cleaned house. It was the Bible study, Write His Answer by Marlene Bagnull.

As I am looking through this book, it is so heavily highlighted in pink, I have to laugh. I was so excited about what I read years ago that I seemed to highlight every word, and now that I reread them, I know why I couldn’t put my pen down.

Listen to this: “. . . we need to envision the writer we hope to become and the work we hope to produce for the Lord’s glory.” And, “When my mind is centered on Christ and I choose to rely on ‘his mighty power,’ I discover he 'is able to do far more than my highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes’" (Eph. 3:20). This is found in the chapter, Making It Happen.

Marlene also talks about setting goals. We can set long-range goals and then break that down into more specific short-term goals. I can’t tell you how many times I have written down goals and have accomplished some, but not all and have become discouraged. But, then I come back again, a few months down the road and start again and try to set new goals. I have since tried to not set as many goals and work though them, and it gives me more confidence to move on.

This summer has been an exhausting summer for me physically and mentally. I am so glad I came across this book so I can be encouraged and remember how excited I was when I read the book for the first time. I feel the excitement building a little again. 

Question: Does setting goals help you accomplish more things?
Please share your insights with the rest of us in a comment.

This is Millie again:
THANKS HEAPS, Tammie, for your inspiring blog and for sharing it with us here! Something else inspiring from you is the book you and Joyce Ellis compiled and edited, Writing So Heaven Will Be Different. Thanks for it, too! It's one of my favorite writing books.
 
 

 

2 comments:

  1. Excellent blog. Thanks for sharing.

    I'm starting a new story, so this comment helps.

    Jeff

    ReplyDelete
  2. When the goals drift out of sight, then I definitely get less accomplished. We won't hit all our goals just by setting them, but we'll hit more targets than we will if we have no goals!

    ReplyDelete