NicoleWith just 4 months left in 2024, today I’m going to help you finish your writing goals without feeling overwhelmed.
In a world filled with pressure, stress, and never enough time, I’ll walk you through 5 steps focused on small, manageable goals to take between now and the end of the year.
Iv’e seen it again and again with my coaching clients:
Having a solid plan in place makes all the difference.
With the right strategy, you’ll find yourself excited to write, instead of dreading it.
The problem is, many writers only see the mountain ahead: the book, the PhD, the article. That approach just leads to stress.
Small, consistent steps every day will get you further than trying to push through all at once.
Let’s dive into your action plan for the next 4 months.
Step 1: Make a List of Projects to Finish
• Write down everything on your plate right now – a big brain dump
If you start feeling overwhelmed, pause and take a few deep breaths.
Step 2: Prioritise and Weed Out Lesser Goals
• From that list, circle your top 3 projects — the ones that could make a significant impact on your career or personal growth.
• Then, strike through lesser goals that you’ll stay away from in the next 4 months. Consider delegating, delaying, or deleting them. My goal filter tool can help with sorting through these goals.
Step 3: Break Them Down
Write your top 3 projects on a new sheet of paper. For each of them, list 3–5 key action steps to move it forward (this template will help).
Once you have that, set deadlines and milestones for those action steps.
This gives you a clear answer on what you must achieve by end of September, October, November, and mid-December (just before Christmas).
Step 4: Make Sure It’s Feasible
• Look at your calendar for the next 4 months.
• Mark any weeks where you’ll be busy — teaching, traveling, or managing other responsibilities. These are weeks you wont’ write much.
• Knowing this, review your priority list and deadlines. If it feels unmanageable, reduce the scope or remove one of those goals.
Bonus Tip: If your plan stresses you out, you’re trying to do too much. Cut it in half!
Step 5: Get Accountability
• Who will hold you accountable? List co-authors, writing buddies, programs, or even social media contacts
• Share your plan with them and ask them to check in on your progress. (Think about what you might offer them in return – a nice lunch invite?)
Bonus Tip: No accountability partner? Pre-schedule emails to yourself on your deadline days as a reminder.
Want to ensure you finish your projects before Christmas?
My 90-Day Writing Accelerator starts start mid-September, and enrolment closes next Monday, September 9th.
In just 12 weeks, you’ll get all the tools, trainings, and live meetings you need to hit at least one major writing goal.
I’ll personally hold you accountable and guide you through the last few months of 2024.
>> Yes, I want to finish a project before Christmas <<
Photo by Karsten Winegeart on Unsplash
