The year always starts with a burst of energy.
On January 1st you feel like you can really change to world.
You are going to have the healthiest, most affluent, best year of your life.
The kilos are going to melt away, the money is going to rain down into a pool Scrooge McDuck style, you will take overseas holidays and be happy every day.
Then suddenly it’s February 1st. Your pool might have a few 20c pieces in the bottom and you might have managed to shift a Christmas kilo or two.
But, no mindblowing progress.
That burst of energy starts to fade.
Motivation is no longer enough to get those grand goals achieved. You might settle for a lesser goal or write them off completely.
Now, every second person will tell you to chunk your goals down. That you should make them SMART and keep the momentum rolling.
None of that is going to work unless you actually want to do it!
The same goes with writing for your business. You know you need to do it, but unless you are in a good space to write, it is never going to happen.
So, should you set writing goals for your business blog this year?
Yes… and no…
Confused?
Let’s look into this a little more.
Should You Set Writing Goals For The Year?
Why You Shouldn’t Set A Rigid Writing Goal
There are a number of reasons why setting a rigid writing goal at the start of the year might not work for you. They are:
Sets You Up To Fail: A rigid goal, like writing every Monday morning at 9am, is setting yourself up to fail. One Monday will come along where you can’t write at 9am. And then what do you do? Probably lose momentum and ditch writing completely.
Horrendous Timing: When you have a clean slate at the start of the year it might seem fine to schedule regular writing time. However, when life and client work/packing orders start to dominate later in the year, your writing will probably get pushed to the end of the queue… and stay there.
False Motivation: The bubble of new year motivation will burst before too long and leave you with a deflated feeling if you have not made as much progress as you had hoped. Getting caught up in the collective goal setting energy of everyone else around you does not give you the right motivation to push forward for the whole year.
So, what can you do about it?!
Setting The Right Writing Goals
We have covered off the no portion of the answer. Why you shouldn’t set writing goals that are rigid and set you up to fail.
But, having a writing goal that works for you can do wonders for your productivity.
How do you set that kind of goal?
There are a couple of things that go into it…
Knowing How Important Writing Is: Blogging and social media are key factors in your business marketing. They help you to be seen, to attract the right kind of clients, generate website traffic, build relationships of trust, and convert leads. Why would you pass all of that up?
Knowing Your Why: Why are you in business? What is at the very core of what you do? Knowing what your why is can help keep you on track for any goal – your writing included!
Making It Work For You: There is no point committing to a blog a week if you are too busy to even take a lunch break in the day. Instead, commit to a schedule that you can actually achieve. Once a month is a really good starting point for consistency without too much pressure.
So, with all of that in mind, shape a 2021 writing goal that is achievable. If ever you feel stumped or unmotivated, remember how important content marketing is for your business and what your why is.
Those two things should give you the kick in the pants to get back on the writing bandwagon and to produce some kick ass content!
Of course, if you know that you need content and struggle to find the time to write it, then maybe outsourcing to an expert is the answer? I specialise in creating high quality blog content (and all the bells and whistles that come along with it) that connects with your audience.
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